No Stranger to a Dark Future
by The Dark Future
Summary: XANA has won. As the world falls to his rule, Jeremy sends the three girls into space to save them from XANA's grasp. However, as they awaken, the future is not always as it seems. YxU JxA OxSam
1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, but I own all original characters that appear in the story.

* * *

Chapter One - Aftermath  


We have failed.

After the three long years we've spent fighting him, XANA has succeeded in making the world his own. Spreading like the virus he is, every computer system was enslaved to his will. The robots made to be the next generation of human warfare became his army. They scour the planet of all human life as we speak and we were helpless to stop the bloodshed happening in the streets. As the realization of our defeat became very clear, the only thing we could do dawned on us. We had to save as many as we can.

A squadron of three XANA hoverbots patrolled through a main sewer line every vigilant on their search for humans. Their red scanning eyes flowed their spotlights as it illuminated everything it touched. Suddenly the three stopped as their leader scanned the area, it had sworn that a noise could be heard. However with no humans found, they continued their patrol.

A minute passed and the noise the hoverbots made echoed away.

"Is it safe?" Sam whispered.

Odd stuck his head out of a sub tunnel that fed into the main line. He looked left and right before popping back into the shadows. "Yeah, we've got to move."

Sam jumped down splashing into the sewer water. She wasn't happy with this, but if it wasn't for Odd arriving at her house when he did, she would have been killed by the first invasion wave of XANA's drones.

Brushing her thighs, she hoped to get the sewer water out of her clothes. She would have succeeded if Odd hadn't jumped down shortly after. With another wave of water splashed on her, she gave up her attempt. Odd blushed sheepishly for he knew it was his fault.

Though she was annoyed with him, his blushing caused her to laugh for it was too adorable for her to hold it back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just… leapt before I looked."

"Odd, there is no need to apologize, just be careful next time."

"Okay…Sam…"

"Yes, Odd?"

He exhaled deeply and held her hands in his, "I will never let anything happen to you. I promise you, Sam, nothing will."

She blushed, "Odd…I love you."

"I love you too, Sam."

They passionately kissed and didn't leave this embrace until something caught the corner of Odd's eye. He broke away to look over her shoulder, the spotlights of XANA's hoverbots were shining around the corner.

"They are close, we have to keep moving."

He grabbed her hand and led her down another sub-tunnel before the hoverbots could arrive. Odd looked back knowing this wasn't the last time they would be pursued. He had spent a week on his own to get Sam and bring her to safety. Though they were close to the rendezvous, they were not far out of danger.

* * *

The rendezvous point was an abandoned missile silo a few miles from Cairo. The resistance that formed shortly after XANA began his invasion waves allowed the five teenagers to use this facility in the creation of Operation: Scatterwind. Jeremy proposed this idea to the general in charge and was given the necessary resources to implement it. Though he never truly told the intentions of the operation, the general had trusted Jeremy when he said it was their last chance.

On the surface, Yumi and Ulrich stood inside the elevator as lookouts. They were keeping an eye out for anything: resistance, XANA's drones, but more importantly, Odd and Sam. Yumi tapped her fingers on the iron railing out of boredom. Ulrich, however, banged his fist against the side of the elevator causing it to shake.

"Ulrich, relax."

"How can I? This all sucks, XANA has won and now I can't help my best friend. Much less know if he is still alive. Plus we haven't heard from Jeremy in three days."

"Ulrich, don't worry about what has happened. Look, the resistance has given us this silo and…"

He faced her, "Adults? They've never helped us before when we were fighting XANA, but now that he has taken over, they decide to help."

"That's not fair, they were kept in the dark while we were fighting him, but now they are helping us."

He scuffed and turned away to look at the horizon.

She looked down and twirled her finger on the railing, "Ulrich…there is something I…"

"Odd is here!" He shouted happily as he spotted them on the horizon. Odd and Sam were running as fast as their legs would allow. In a minute, they dashed into the elevator and caught their breath.

"Odd, what happened?"

"XANA's army is right behind us! We've got to get going."

"What about the resistance?"

Odd answered, "What resistance?"

Yumi pressed the down button on the overhanging control box. The sirens blared and the flashing orange lights turned on as they started their descent. In the distance, they saw the swirling sandstorm that was XANA's army.

* * *

Down inside the silo, Jeremy and Aelita were working on the product of Operation: Scatterwind. It was three stasis pods that formed a 'Y' when you look down on it. Jeremy grabbed a wrench in his lifeless hands and began tightening a bolt. After his third tug, he collapsed on the floor. Aelita heard the wrench clang off the ground and walked around to see Jeremy on the floor, she rushed to his side.

"Jeremy!" She helped him got back to feet and he sat down on a crate. "Jeremy, you have to take a break. You have been working on this non-stop for a week."

"I can't, Aelita. We are so close to our goal, I just can't stop now."

"But Jeremy we haven't heard anything from Ulrich, Yumi, Odd or Sam. It could be hours or days before they…" She was interrupted by the blaring siren.

Jeremy looked up at her with a smirk on his face, she threw her hands up in defeat, "All right, they're here."

The elevator pulled down into view. Odd stuck his head out when they had cleared the elevator shaft.

"Jeremy, XANA is here! We've got to hurry and launch Operation: Scatterwind."

He shook his head, "All right, Aelita help me up."

She grabbed his hand and got him to his feet. When the group reunited, they hugged for it had been a while since they've seen one another. Then Jeremy frowned and said, "Hey Aelita, we are ready to launch, but could you and the girls do a quick systems check?"

"Okay, Jeremy if that's what you want. Come on ladies, I'll show you what to do."

They walked to the ship and Aelita began giving out instructions. Jeremy gestured for the guys to come in closer.

He whispered, "Whisper, I don't want the girls to hear. We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"You know what this operation is, don't you?"

"It is to a small ship made out of three stasis pods and a propulsion system. You said we could get into space if we…" he paused to gulp, "...lay on top of each other."

"What they don't know is I have been rigging the calculations on my laptop. With all six of us, the weight of the ship is too much to break orbit."

Odd quivered in fear, "So one of us has to stay behind?"

Jeremy sighed, "Not one…three."

* * *

**Ooooo...this is getting good. But who will stay behind? Will the Operation be a success? What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out.**


	2. Scatterwind

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, but I own all original characters that appear in the story

* * *

Chapter Two - Scatterwind

Ulrich blurted, "Three?"

Jeremy shushed him and looked to see Aelita showing the girls how to do the systems check. He breathed a sigh of relief for they didn't hear.

Ulrich rubbed his brow, "So who is staying behind?"

Jeremy looked over to Aelita again and smiled at his angel, "We are."

"Jeremy…"

But he stood his ground, "Ulrich, do you want Yumi to be a prisoner of XANA? Do you want to hear her screams of pain as she is tortured or to see her mangled body by XANA in an effort to demoralize you? I don't want that for Aelita and I'm sure you don't want that for Sam either, Odd. Besides, I heard from the resistance about XANA's treatment of…female prisoners."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I've already told Aelita that the girls will get in first and we will lay on top of them. It will be a tight fit, but it would work. So all you have to do is get them inside the pods and have them stay there until I need you."

"For what?"

"XANA's drones will be after me. I need you to keep them off me until I initiate the launch procedure. There are a couple of steel pipes by the elevator you can use."

"Jeremy, I don't think that the girls will sit quietly by as we tell them we are staying behind."

"That is why I brought these…" Jeremy removed a small sack from his pocket, he opened it to reveal three syringes with a green liquid inside.

"These are sedatives. If the girls try to get out of their pods, remove the cap subtlety and inject them with it. This will keep them unconscious for a long while after take-off."

Ulrich grabbed his collar, "Are you sure there is no other way?"

"I am sorry, Ulrich, but we do not have time to do anything else. But look over there." He pointed toward the girls who were watching Aelita. He saw Yumi leaning against the control console nodding to everything that Aelita was saying. The very sight of her made his heart flutter.

"That, my friend, is someone worth saving just as Aelita is to me and Sam is to Odd. Don't you want her to be safe and free from XANA? Don't you want that?"

A tear rolled down his cheek, "I want that for her."

Aelita and the girls were coming back, so Jeremy hastened his whispering.

"Once they are in the pod, push the orange button on the left-hand side near the top and that will close the hatch."

He stood up straight with a smile as he pretended everything was normal. Aelita coupled her hands in front of her and matched her boyfriend's smile.

"Well, Jeremy. The systems are ready and functioning properly."

"Excellent, Aelita."

Yumi smiled with her friends until she noticed the tear off Ulrich's cheek.

"Ulrich…are you crying?"

"No, no…" he wiped the tear away, "…just some old dust in my eye."

He put up a brave front as she looked him with a raised eyebrow. She was about to speak when they heard a pounding noise coming from above. The entire silo began to shake and loose dust fell down the main shaft. Jeremy rushed over to his friends.

"Okay, everyone. I have everything almost set, so girls if you would get into the pods first and we will join you in a few moments."

The boys held their girlfriends' hands and walked them to their pods. Aelita faced the control console as Sam faced the elevator and Yumi faced the far wall.

"Are you ready to go, Aelita?"

"Of course, I just wish we could have put an end to XANA."

"Me, too. Um…Aelita?"

"Yes?"

"You know I love you, right?"

She settled into her pod, "Yes, I do and I love you too, Jeremy."

A tear rolled down his eyes, "That love is eternal and forever yours. Remember that, Aelita."

He sighed and pressed the orange button, Aelita's eyes widened for she knew now what he was doing. She tried to get out, but banged her head on the strong plastic of the hatch. She started to scream and bang on the hatch door, but it locked in place cutting her pleas to the outside world. Jeremy walked to the control console as more tears fell from his eyes.

Odd patted the hand of his girlfriend. She was already inside the pod and was smiling at all the attention she was getting.

"Sam?"

"Yes, Odd?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Odd."

He heard another thud from above and saw Jeremy was working at the control console.

"I am sorry, Sam. But I have to go now."

"Odd, you are scaring me."

She began stepping out of the pod, but he leaned against her giving her the most passionate kiss he had ever given her. He kept on kissing her as all the worries and fears drifted from Sam's mind as she embraced this tender moment. He backed away as Sam was left breathless.

He whimpered, "Goodbye, Sam."

He pressed the orange button and the hatch began to close. When the hatch moved into view, she was broken out of her trance.

"Odd!" was all anyone could hear before the hatch closed.

"What was that?" Yumi asked. Ulrich was holding back tears and looked at Jeremy who had changed back to his mood of indifference, he nodded his head and Ulrich nodded in return.

He wiped away his tears, "Oh, you know them. They are probably making out before we head off into space."

"Ulrich…before we go…I…" She was interrupted as the bulkhead gave way and XANA's drones began pouring down the main shaft. Odd had grabbed the steel pipes and wobbled over to the control console.

Jeremy shouted over his terminal, "Ulrich, we have to move now!"

Yumi was taken back, "What? Ulrich! Why are they not in their pods?"

"Sorry, Yumi. But this is the only way." He began to reach for the orange button, but was stopped. He faced Yumi who had grabbed him and began hugging him real hard.

"Yumi, let me go."

She wasn't going to let him escape, "No, please Ulrich. Press the orange button and we can leave…together."

He sighed, "I am sorry, Yumi."

He reached into his pocket, pulled out the syringe, and slid the cap off with his thumb. Yumi held on tight, but then felt a sharp prick pierce her leg. The sedative had kicked in almost instantly as she was chemically lulled to sleep.

Ulrich gently set her back inside the pod and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, "Yumi, I love you. For that reason is why I stay behind."

With the button pressed, he ran to the console and grabbed two steel pipes as a hornet's stinger stabbed the metal where his hands were a second ago. In a brilliant dance, Ulrich and Odd defended Jeremy as he hastily typed in the last command codes.

"Come on, come on." He pleaded. The computer screen showed the engine starting up, the number was rising exponentially.

"Guys, we have to get out of here now!" Jeremy said before leaping over the console and ran for the elevator. Ulrich and Odd kept up their routine as parts of drones fell everywhere. The main shaft started to heat as the engines warmed up. Ulrich and Odd took this as their cue and ran toward the elevator.

Once they were inside, Jeremy pushed the up button on the control box. The siren blared and the flashing lights turned on as they began to rise. Luckily, the drones were focusing on the more imminent threat, which was Odd and Ulrich, so they breathed a sigh of relief for the girls weren't in any danger.

Jeremy saw the ship for the last time as the elevator rose into the elevator shaft. They heard the roar of the engines at full power as it started to shake and rise.

"Guys, we got to run for it when the elevator reaches the surface."

Drones started pouring into the elevator shaft and the guys took their usual positions in defending Jeremy. Metal debris and oil fell everywhere as the drones were destroyed one after another. Jeremy looked down toward the shaft as smoke and fire rose, he knew that the ship was taking off inside the main shaft. Seconds later, they arrived on the surface and the three teenagers ran into the desert.

Jeremy shouted to his friends, "Hurry! We don't have long."

The smoke and fire shot upward through the shaft causing the elevator to fly. It crashed seconds later behind the group as they kept their expedient pace.

* * *

Aelita banged on the hatch as hard as she could, but it won't budge and her arms were getting tired of trying. She stopped and leaned back against the cushioning of the pod. She was jostled around by the engines as the ship took off. With a roar, it headed toward the ripped bulkhead. Aelita closed her eyes as the ship shot its way through the metal.

The guys heard the deafening roar and stopped to see the ship soar through the air leaving a pillar of smoke behind. Jeremy jumped in the air throwing his fist toward the heavens, "Go!'

He looked as the ship rose higher and higher into the sky, "Go! Go!"

Ulrich prayed, "Yumi, be safe."

Odd smiled, "Sam, you'll be all right. I know it."

The ship vanished from view as it went into space. Then their eyes drifted back to the earth and they saw XANA's drones and hoverbots have surrounded them. They aimed their lasers readying for the kill. Ulrich and Odd threw their badly bent pipes down on the desert sands. They raised their hands above their heads and Jeremy said, "We surrender."

Aelita and Sam cried for they not only lost their world, but they now lost their boys. Yumi would have cried along with them if not for the sedative. Even the amazing sight of outer space wouldn't break them out of their sadness. After a few moments, a voice spoke out over the intercom.

"Zero gravity achieved, initiating stasis procedure."

They couldn't see it coming as the pods grew colder until they were in complete stasis. With the ship powered off, they drifted through the endless void of space.

* * *

**The dice have been cast and their fates are sealed. Next Chapter, the original character is introduced.**


	3. Just an Ordinary Day

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, but I own all original characters that appear in the story

* * *

Chapter Three – Just an Ordinary Day

The alarm clock blared next to the hammock where the man was sleeping. His waking arm groped his nightstand through the darkness. He grabbed his alarm clock and felt the top with his fingers.

"One…two…three…ah, four." He said counting the buttons he felt. Pressing the button, the alarm went silent and he rose from his bed.

"Computer, lights please." The lights turned on and illuminated his workshop. It had various benches and tables used for different engineering tasks as his creations laid sprawled on them and the floor.

He got up and rubbed his eyes before streaking his hands over his blonde shoulder-length hair. He dressed in his normal attire, which was brown cargo pants, white t-shirt, black leather vest, black leather gloves, and black boots. Once fully dressed, he went to the shower.

Stepping out of workshop, he headed to the bathroom where it was white and clean with everything that a bathroom needs.

"Computer, shower booth online." He looked up to see the cylindrical booth lowered down slowly from the ceiling until it hit the floor. He stepped inside the tube and the vertical scanner began to spin around picking up all the dirt off his body and attaching the dirt to itself. After five minutes, the scanner powered down and locked into its initial position where the dirt slid down into two slots in the bottom pad of the booth where it was incinerated. The man walked out of the bathroom as he heard the booth rose up into the ceiling.

"Computer, breakfast twelve."

He heard noises coming from the kitchen as his breakfast was being made. He stepped into the kitchen separated by a counter and is part of the bridge of his ship known as the New Light. His breakfast came out of the replicator, it was cereal with lowfat milk.

He ate a spoonful before saying, "Yum, now that is good cereal. Yo Enigma, breakfast is ready." Then he winced, "That's right, he is not here anymore. Computer, time to destination."

"We will be arriving at the Cam Deltoria Derelict Field in nine point eight minutes."

He stopped enjoying his breakfast for a moment, "But projection said twenty-two minutes, why the difference?"

"An unforeseen solar wind occurred behind the ship causing a temporary burst of acceleration while you slept."

"Computer, initiate emergency procedure 322."

"Understood, initiation proceeding. Confirmation must be given by primary user."

He sat down in the pilot's seat and propped his feet on the console. With this done, he resumed eating his breakfast.

Slowly the clear view of outer space went away as the Cam Deltoria Derelict Field drew closer and closer. Though it had been one of the many established derelict fields and raided many times over the years, there was always something new to find here. The ship slowly moved through the derelicts as he carefully maneuvered his way through.

The computer spoke, "We have entered ten clicks within the field."

"Confirmation given."

"Emergency procedure 322 activated, emergency stop."

The ship stopped as the man finished his breakfast. He tapped on a few buttons and the sensors began to scan everything around the ship.

"Computer, begin analysis."

"Analysis will take several minutes."

"Yes, yes, I understand. This isn't my first derelict salvage."

"Also you have a call waiting from Alicia."

"Put it on hold."

"Understood, this is the forty-third call you've held from this caller."

"I don't care, continue analysis." He slouched down into his chair as he stretched out his arms and brought his hands behind his head. For once in a long while, he closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Sir, sorry to disturb you, but the analysis has picked up something."

"What is it?"

"Sensors have detected a benzodiazepine within the local vicinity."

"There must be a mistake. Is there anything wrong with the sensors?"

"No, the sensors are fully functional and are at a hundred percent efficiency."

"But how can a sedative exist in outer space, can you follow it to the source?"

"Tracking."

The ship went deeper into the derelict field, the man was on alert for who knew what was out here. Derelict fields were crawling with Space Scavengers, criminals, and other salvagers. Soon they were face-to-face with the source, it was a very small ship.

"Computer, what model is that?"

"Database has no record of this kind of craft."

"Scan max level."

A bright green light swept over the derelict, "Scans have detected three life signs in stasis."

"What species?"

"Human."

His eyes widened, "Human? Begin extraction immediately."

The New Light floated above the derelict and opened its hangar bay doors. Small robotic tentacles drifted downward and grabbed the ship bringing it up to the hangar. The doors closed and the hangar was re-pressurized seconds later.

The man walked inside and saw the ship was at a slant as two of the three pods were on the ground and the third was high in the air. He walked to the two he could reach and began examining them.

"Computer, these stasis pods are in disarray. I can't tell how long before they fail completely, how long will it take for us to transfer them to our stasis pods?"

"They should not reach full rehabilitation for precisely two minutes after leaving stasis."

"Okay, send a robot helper to the hangar. I will need assistance for this."

A human-size robot on wheels came through the door. The man gestured the robot to come closer and it obeyed.

"I am going to open these two pods, prepare to grab what comes out."

The robot nodded his head as the computer spoke through the robot, "Understood, sir."

He pressed the release button on one of the pods and an unconscious Sam fell into the robot's arms. The robot wheeled away as the man pressed the release button on the next pod and an unconscious Yumi fell into his arms. He dashed off to the stasis chamber and got there to see the robot placing Sam into her new pod. He placed Yumi into another pod where both him and the robot pushed a button to put them back into stasis.

He and the robot returned to the hangar. In a matter of seconds, he thought of a way to get the pod down.

"Here is what we are going to do. You tip the ship over and I will catch it."

"Are you sure that is wise, sir? Because my scans indicate that craft is too heavy for a human to grab on the way down."

He raised his hands and pressed a button on the collar of his gloves, "Now I am sure."

He walked over to where he needed to be, "Okay, computer. Tip it over."

The robot heaved and rolled the ship over as the third pod fell toward the man who effortlessly caught it and eased it to the ground. With the push of a button, Aelita fell into his arms. He headed for the stasis chamber, but he didn't hurry for he was fascinated with her pink hair.

"That is a strange color for natural hair, but I don't see any incisions, hair plugs, or signs of gene therapy. So I guess you are a natural pink, but there is something about you I can't quite put my finger on."

Her eyes began to twitch and he knew she was awaking. He didn't have much time before she regained consciousness, so he hurried to the stasis chamber and carefully placed her in a pod and pushed the button. He wiped the sweat from his brow.

"That was close. Computer, begin DNA extraction and analysis."

"Processing…"

He pulled in some chairs from the kitchen while he waited for the results. He started setting them up when he heard a beeping noise."

"Sir, analysis complete. All three are human females of adolescent age."

"I saw that, is there anything besides the obvious to report?"

"The three have no genetic abnormalities or diseases. However one of the females has an unusual DNA sequence explaining her natural pink hair. Also the same female shows signs of Digilization."

"Are you sure? She seems to be out of place for such technology. Can you time track her genetic code?"

"Processing…her DNA has been time tracked to the 21st century."

"There is no way then, Digilization technology wasn't invented yet. I've heard enough, we have to talk face-to-face."

* * *

Aelita awoke in a fog as the ice of stasis was melting away. She coughed as her lungs started to feel air fill them after such a long time. She only saw the fog, though she wished to rise out of it, her body still didn't have the strength. Then a hand reached down through the fog and grabbed her hand. In a second, she was sitting up in the pod still coughing. Then she looked up to see her benefactor looking down on her. 

"Who…are you?"

"Don't be afraid. My name is Trickster and I am sure you have a lot of questions."

* * *

**The next chapter is where the Lyoko girls reunite and are wondering where and when they are as well as what happened to XANA? Read more to find out.**


	4. Questions and Answers

Chapter Four – Questions and Answers

Minutes later, the girls were out of stasis and the numbing cold was starting to wear away. Sam and Aelita hugged each other raving about how nice it was to see each other. Yumi was smiling, but sitting almost dead in her chair for the sedative was still in her system. The door slid open and Trickster walked in halting their reunion.

"Don't stop because of me. I am just giving this blood strainer to your friend here."

He walked over to Yumi and pulled up her sleeve to her shoulder, He slipped her hand through the device and raised it up to her bicep, strapping it on firmly. Aelita walked cautiously to the man's side.

"What does this do?"

"The blood strainer will harmlessly extract the sedative as it goes through her system. In a couple minutes, she will be back to her normal self."

"That's good to hear, but who…" She was stopped by his hand inches from her face.

His voice turned cold, "All answers will be given when your friend is here is able to comprehend them as you do. All I am asking is a few minutes."

Aelita shuddered, "Okay, then. I'll just go to Sam."

His normal voice came back, "You do that, now that your friend has the strainer. I will go and get something to help aid your questions."

Aelita nodded and turned back to Sam. Trickster left the room and walked down the hall as the door slid closed behind him. Doors passed by him leading to different rooms of the ship. He stopped in front of a black door marked with a giant white 'X'. He took a deep breath before opening the door.

It was a normal-sized room much like the stasis chamber, but it had only one item that was a large black locker with several compartments. It stood facing him at the center of the room under the glow of a single spotlight.

Trickster walked through the doorway and onto a small gray pad, "Security Grid Alpha deactivate, codeword Future."

"Codeword accepted, laser field deactivated."

A small panel dropped down from the ceiling and Trickster grabbed this and pressed it against his eyes.

"Security Grid Beta, accept retinal scan."

"Scan accepted, mine array deactivated." The computer said before the panel rose back to the ceiling.

He walked forward until he reached the locker. Each compartment had a thumb scanner and he pressed his thumb against it. The door of one compartment opened and floating in the center was a pair of unusual-looking goggles.

"Warning! This magic item has several dangerous factors, are you sure you wish to use it?"

"Computer, I am aware of the dangers of this item and I was the one who wrote the room's defensive protocols and even the warning you just gave me."

"Understood, sir."

He sighed and shook his head. Taking the goggles in his hand and placing it in his breast pocket, he walked back to the stasis chamber. The girls were sitting down and Yumi was spry with life once again when he arrived. The room fell with a dead silence as he took his seat.

"Now that your friend is able to comprehend, we will begin. Ask me any question you wish and I will see if I have an answer for you."

Yumi and Sam drew close to Aelita and whispered suggestions into her ears. After about a moment, Aelita shooed them away and they went back to facing Trickster. Aelita drew a small smile and laid her hands on her lap.

"The first question we ask is who are you?"

"My name is Trickster for those of you who don't know. I am an…adventurer of sorts as well as one of the best engineers this side of the galaxy. That's pretty much all you need to know about me. Next question."

"Where and when are we?"

"You are aboard my spaceship called the 'New Light'. It is an Arlunolan cargo freighter retooled with improved engines and combat capabilities. For when, well it can be quite shocking."

Aelita took a small breath, "We can take it."

"You are in the year 80303 A.D. also called 58659 A.A.F."

"A.A.F?"

"Look, it's a long story and I really don't have time to go into it. Next question?"

"How did you find us?"

"You should thank your friend over there for that." He said gesturing to Yumi.

Yumi pointed to herself, "Me?"

"The sedative you had in your bloodstream was picked up by my ship's sensors. It was what alerted me to your presence."

Aelita spoke up, "So what happens to us now?"

"I wish I could tell you that, but there is not much I can do."

Then she snapped her fingers, "Wait, you are human and there are other humans as well?"

He stared at her blankly, "Yes…there is."

"Then…" She jumped out of her chair, "… then it is over, XANA has been defeated."

The girls joined her by jumping out of their chairs as well and started to celebrate a little. Trickster sat dumbfounded in his chair and waved his hands back and forth.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on, what are you talking about?"

"XANA, the enemy of all humanity."

"There is no XANA. I have no idea what you are talking about."

"But…"

"Out of all the records that have been salvaged from your era, there was nothing about a war with something called XANA."

"But…how?"

"I don't know. Do you have any more questions?"

Aelita sniffed as a tear fell, "Can you tell us what happened to the boys? They were the ones who were left behind and we want to know what happened to them."

He sighed and pulled the goggles out of his breast pocket, "What are their names?"

Sam spoke holding back tears, "Odd…Della Robia."

Aelita felt the same way, "Jeremy Bel…pois."

Yumi was third, "Ulrich…Ulrich Stern."

He placed the goggles over his eyes and said, "Goggles of the Mind!"

The lens flickered yellow and the frames began to rotate counter-clockwise. He exhaled softly as he froze completely still for a moment before saying the boys' names. The vision of the room faded to black and then a gold cumulus cloud with countless sprinkling lights came into view.

The girls sat there for several minutes watching him sit there with his neck twitching slightly every few seconds. Aelita wondered what was happening and stood from her chair. She walked slowly to Trickster and tapped his shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

He breathed a breath of fresh air as he returned back to conscious thought, "Oh sorry, the goggles have that effect. But before I do anything else, I must ask you this, do you love them?"

Aelita returned to her chair, "What do you…"

He lifted his eyes from the floor and shouted, "Do you love them!"

Aelita stuttered, "Y…es."

"Then I refused to answer your question."

"But…"

"Look, it is…"

Aelita shot up from her chair, "They loved us and sacrificed everything to make sure we were safe. So please, we must know what happened to them for we just have to know."

He looked into her eyes and saw the same fierce determination that he had seen in his own eyes many times during the most dire parts of his adventures.

He sighed in defeat, "Very well, I will show you. Just remember, you asked for what you are about to see."

* * *

**Next chapter, the fate of the boys is revealed.**


	5. Fate of the Boys

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, but I own all original characters that appear in the story.

* * *

Chapter Five- The Fate of the Boys

Trickster turned the frames of the Goggles of the Mind and they opened outward projecting the golden cumulus cloud into the center of the room.

"Okay before I show you, let me know if there are any parts you would like to skip through and I also warn you again that what are about to see is intense."

Aelita looked to Sam who nodded and then to Yumi who also nodded before facing Trickster, "We are ready."

He took a deep breath before shouting out the item's names and the boys' names once again. The cloud started to dissipate and clear up projecting the desert of Egypt. They saw several blurring entities coming into focus.

Aelita stared at the projection, "Is that…them?"

* * *

Jeremy, Odd, and Ulrich had their hands placed against the back of their heads as several hoverbots encircled them as their escorts. The guys moved closer to Jeremy, who was in between them.

Ulrich whispered, "So Jeremy, what's the plan now?"

"We do nothing."

The guys were taken back, "What?"

"Listen, guys. The plan was to get the girls into space and that is done. Our lives are forfeit."

Ulrich confronted him, "But Jeremy…"

"Ulrich! We have no supercomputer, no resources, no allies whatsoever. There is nothing more we can do, no matter how much I hate to say it. All we have to do is endure XANA's tortures, then die."

Odd and Ulrich looked down depressingly at the desert floor as they continued to march through the sands until they arrived at a pristine steel dome. This was XANA's palace, it was constructed in only a week, but the robots needed nothing to eat, no sleep, and no breaks, so it was easy to comprehend its hasty schedule.

The hoverbots urged them forward into the construction site of XANA's new metropolis. The palace, though steel on the outside, was marble on the interior. A statue of XANA's symbol faced the doorway. They were pushed toward the elevator where they went up several floors to a steel corridor with doors lining both sides. They walked down the hall until they reach a small vestibule with three doors facing them. The hoverbots separated each of them into one of three rooms.

The doors slid shut behind them as the hoverbots moved down the hallway. The guys took a few steps into the darkness before a spotlight shot down from the top of the domed room. The only object was a table with restraints, the guys saw this and had an unanimous reaction as they ran for the door. The table slanted itself and turned to the three, the restraints shot toward them and clasped their wrists and ankles.

The boys resisted against the shackles, but they started to retract causing the boys to fly through the air and slam hard against the table. It spun facing away from the door. Still they resisted, but it was no use. The room began to buzz with the noise of made by a hoverbot. They warily looked around the room in search of the noise's source.

Metal gleamed in front of them as a black sphere hovered closer. It opened up revealing its tiny head with a single red eye and its many tentacles.

The three torture-bots spoke in unison, "At last, I have you. But where are the females?"

Odd spat on the screen as Ulrich and Jeremy just cursed out XANA, "Fine, exacting appropriate countermeasures."

One of the tentacles straightened as the laser on its end began to aim. A sharp laser pierced through their side as they recoiled in pain, "Pancreas penetrated, where are the females?"

They cursed him out again for they would never betray those they loved, "Exacting appropriate countermeasures."

The laser aimed again and fired, "Right kidney penetrated, where are the females?"

In the present, the girls begged Trickster to fast-forward and he skipped the rest of the day's torture. Before the day was finished, the torture-bots injected them with a long needle and then disappeared back into the shadows.

The door opened as their escorts arrived, the restraints unlocked and they fell to the floor as they noticed what was happening. Their wounds started to close up and heal as if they were never there. They were forced back on their feet and marched toward a prison cell down the hall. The door locked behind them as they reconvened.

Jeremy huddled close, "Did any of you let anything slip?"

The other two just shook their heads. They quietly reminisced about old times until they fell asleep. All their nights were unpleasant as they were fed nightmares all relating to XANA and his dominance over the world. They awoke to be escorted to the torture chambers once again. Each day the tortures increased from searing holes into their vital organs to severing off their limbs. But in the end, they were injected once again with healing nanobots that restored their bodies.

The girls asked Trickster to fast forward to the end. It was three months since their capture. XANA realizing they would not reveal the location of the girls, he decided to end it. The boys were escorted by three tall robots each wrapped around in a tattered cloak. They walked up one of the places known as a XANA Spire.

Once they ascended to the top, they saw XANA's city. It was pristine, clean, but devoid of human life. This is the world they wished to prevent. They were pushed onto their knees and instructed to close their eyes.

The girls were frozen in their chairs as fear washed over them. The three robots drew a sword from the fold of their cloaks and held it high over their heads. The boys breathed calmly for they knew this was the end. The swords came down and blood splattered against the floor as the three boys collapsed forward on the ground. Their eyes tinted as the spark of life left them.

* * *

The projection disappeared and the lights turned on. The girls sat in their chairs crying at what they have just seen. Trickster slouched in his seat as the power of the goggles took its toll. 

Sam cried, "Odd…Odd…how could this be?"

"Ulrich…we never even kissed, why did we wait so long?"

Aelita fell forward and slammed the floor, "Jeremy! I wished you never found the supercomputer. I'd rather be non-existent than to have you suffer so."

Trickster shook his head as he returned to conscious thought, he saw the girls crying over those they lost and he was growing angry. This was not because of their sadness, but it brought him back to a painful memory in his own life.

He looked to the ground, "Cecilia…has it really been twelve years?"

He will never forget that rainy day when he was nineteen crying over the grave of his deceased wife. The service had just ended and he was all alone.

"Cecilia, please. Why do you have to leave? It is not fair, I don't want to be alone….all alone…all over again…I am alone."

His blood boiled as his head rose, "Enough!"

The room became silent after his outburst, "I understand your grief, but this is not the time to mourn. We have to move forward and find a way to help you."

Aelita sniffed and wiped away her tears, "So what? We just forget what happened?"

"No I am not saying that, just…" Then he paused for a moment and snapped his fingers, "Wait! I think I know how to help you."

"What? You mean you are going to help us?"

Trickster smiled, "Yeah, there may be one more adventure in me yet."

* * *

**What exactly is Trickster's plan to help the girls and is it possible?  
**


	6. Trickster

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Six - Trickster

Inside the medical bay, the girls were rubbing their arms after all the inoculations they just received. Trickster looked over the results from the medical scan the three underwent. Yumi and Sam were perfectly healthy teenager girls, however there was something that confirmed his suspicions about Aelita.

"My arm feel like a pincushion." Yumi commented sourly.

"Back in the 21st century, the range of diseases was a hundred times less than what you could get exposed to in this age. Trust me, you'll be thankful when your intestines aren't trying to squeeze through your pores. It's not pretty."

Aelita was flipping through the Virtual Medical Database. The 3D text shone in a corner of the room. Trickster noticed her studying the database.

"Is there anything that you need help looking for?"

"I can't seem to find Digilization anywhere in this database."

"Search under 'Virtual Humanoid Condition', it should be there."

She typed it in on the keyboard and the text projected on screen, "Digilization is a unique process where a humanoid being of specified parameters is created using material synthesizing technology. Despite the centuries of research, it is not perfect with the created being's lifespan being completely random."

"And because of that, the industry makes a lot of money."

"What industry?"

Trickster sweated, "Um…how can I put this…ah, the 'Harem' industry."

Aelita's eyes widened, "You mean…"

"Basically, yeah."

"But why do you think that I am digitalized?"

Trickster walked to the controls, "May I?"

Aelita stepped aside as he took over, "Transferring blood scans to main screen…there we go. Here is a 3D model of Yumi's blood cell. Notice anything different?"

After a moment, they replied, "No."

"Okay..." he typed in some more on the keyboard, "…Here is Sam's blood cell. Anything different now?"

Once again, they answered, "No."

"Now lastly…" he typed some more, "…Aelita's blood cell."

They looked at her blood cell, it appeared to be just like the other two, then a small blue dot appeared and disappeared in a few seconds. It happened again and again.

Trickster smiled, "Now, we freeze the image and magnify by a thousand on the blue dot and we get…"

The image enhanced on the dot. When the screen cleared, the blue dot was comprised of smaller streams of ones and zeros. Aelita backed away, banging into an examination chair. Yumi and Sam stood there wondering if anything was wrong with their friend.

"That's how. Every cell in your body has these small bits of digital residue, they occur naturally in digitalized people. It is a way to keep track of whose real and whose not."

"But I am real!"

"Relax, it is just a standard, that's all. I know your real, you have too much life to be one of those harem girls."

"Really?"

"Have you called me master yet?"

"No."

"Then, you're real. They are drop dead gorgeous, but personality wise, they are severely lacking. But the question I have is how were you digitalized in the 21st century when such technology didn't exist?"

Aelita took a deep breath, "Yumi knows, but Sam doesn't. I was virtualized in a supercomputer for ten years. Floating amongst the data for that long must have done this to me."

"Well, that certainly is interesting. Out of the many subjects I divulge, I never thought of what would happen in that situation. Now I know and that makes sense."

"So what are we going to do?" Yumi said. The girls turned to Trickster.

"You want to know what my plan is?"

"Yes, we do."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It is still too early. I am going to check how far we are from our destination. Excuse me, ladies." He did a slight bow and then left the room.

The girls huddled together, Yumi was the first to speak, "I don't trust this guy. He refuses to tell us anything and remember the way he freaked out when we cried over the boys? It was scaring."

"But he did save us from sleeping forever, not to mention that he has been helpful with all our questions."

"You are too trusting, Aelita, this guy's name is Trickster for crying out loud. Who in their right mind would take that on as a name?"

"Yumi, you can't keep yourself closed off to the world. God, no wonder you and Ulrich never got together."

Yumi stood shocked with her jaw open, "Aelita! You…you…" She crept toward her friend with her hands reached out threateningly. Sam got in between them.

"Hey, relax you two. We can't fight each other. I am sure that Jeremy…" She turned to Aelita who now frowned in thought, "…and Ulrich…" She turned to Yumi who now looked away holding back tears, "…wouldn't want you two to fight."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "I know that we lost our boys and it is hard losing people we love, but we must think about what they would want. We also have to think about our situation. This is the far future, we don't know how things work here. Trickster is the only person we met and he cares about us."

Yumi shrugged, "You don't know that."

"If he wanted to get rid of us, he could have ejected out of an airlock after we were thawed, or blew our ship up with a laser, or used an invention or something. All I am saying is that if he was going to do something, he would have done it by now."

"What if he is waiting for the right moment?"

"Oh my god, Yumi, are you this untrusting?"

Aelita placed a hand on Sam's shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, she is still broken up over Ulrich. I mean…she never got into a relationship with him. Jeremy and I did, so did you and Odd, but they…well, it was something that should have been. Give her time and she will come around."

She whispered in return, "You're right, Aelita." Then she spoke at normal volume, "Okay, Yumi. You do have a point, but we can't discount Trickster entirely. I mean he went through all this trouble to keep us safe. We should keep an eye on him, maybe we can learn more about him somehow."

Yumi smiled a little knowing that her opinion has been acknowledged, "So what do you suggest?"

Aelita snapped her fingers, "I've got an idea."

She turned back to the Virtual Medical Database and sat at the controls, "Maybe this can access more than just medical knowledge."

Yumi asked, "How?"

"Well, this is a computer terminal and right now it is accessing data from the VMD. If I can get connected to an global information network, then we can find out more about him."

"Aelita, this technology is way after our time, how can you hack it?"

"It is true what you are saying, but anything can be hacked using a simple algorithm. After all, Jeremy and I hacked our way through our fair share of systems. It should just take a few more moments, so bare with me."

* * *

Trickster did exactly as he said. The destination has been checked and they were still on course, they would be arriving in two days. With no need to hurry back, he relaxed in the pilot's seat and threw his head back into the headrest.

"Some peace and quiet, at last." He closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air.

"Ah, sir?"

"Yes, computer?"

"You have a call from Alicia."

"Put it on hold."

"Sorry, sir, I can't…it is a paid call."

"But, I don't want to speak to her, not now and maybe not ever."

"It is listed as urgent."

"What could be urgent? Shelly is watching out for them and she is living in my mansion, what possibly could be urgent."

"I will patch her through, sir."

"Fine…" He said clearly annoyed.

A small television panel descended down and clicked into place overhead, the screen flashed on and a beautiful blonde woman appeared.

"Hello…Trickster." She said hesitatingly.

"Hello…Alicia. So what is so urgent that you had to call me?"

"Trickster, I want you to come home."

"Why?"

"You know why…Daedalus wants to see you. He was asking questions again about you."

"Right now, I can't come back. I have too many things to do."

"We both know that is a bunch of bull, Trickster, you can come home, so why don't you?"

"I am not having this conversation, bye." He hung up the phone.

The screen turned off and ascended back out of view. He relaxed again in his chair trying not to think about what happened. He needed something to distract himself.

"Computer, play holo-vid sixty-three."

"Yes, sir."

A small holographic projection appeared on the dashboard. Trickster watched the old memory replay itself. He was standing behind the kitchen counter as Enigma entered wearing his true form.

"So Trickster, how was your sleep?"

"Fine, I think I need a new mattress. I swear it felt like it was poking me all night."

"Oh I see…" Enigma was holding back a laugh.

"Got a joke on your mind?"

"No, it was nothing. By the way, you've put on weight, I think you need to hit the gym."

"Well, I've been thinking that for a long time and…wait! It was you."

"I transformed into a Berda Sand Slime and poked you all night."

"Why?"

"For stealing my mpY player."

"I returned it to you last week, remember?"

"Oh yeah, sorry."

"You, son of a…" Trickster shouted before jumping across the table and getting into a fight with his best friend.

The present-day Trickster laughed, "Oh man, I spent six hours in the medical bay, but that was the best fight I ever had."

The computer sighed, "I will never understand the human fascination with pain."

Trickster ignored the comment. He was living life to the fullest as he looked back on the past and looked to the future.

* * *

The entire medical bay was bathed in a red light as Aelita and Sam stayed frozen in place as Yumi pointed at the projection.

"Didn't I say he couldn't be trusted?"

Aelita said, "I can't believe it, he seems so nice."

"You're right, Aelita. He did."

The projection was a profile sheet with Trickster's bust in the picture space and had his personal information. The red light came from the gigantic "WANTED" printed over the entire profile.

Aelita looked upon Trickster. Wanted by the Human Federation for crimes of Armed Bank Robbery, Theft of Federation Property, Assault, four counts of Murder of High-ranking Federal personnel, Twenty-five counts of Murder of Medium-Ranking Federal Personnel.

"He seemed so nice…"

* * *

**That is chapter six. Sorry for taking so long to update, but I have been very busy with college. I like to thank LDChaosBdon for sending me that message. It helped getting my act together. For those who are reading, 'Threads that connect us all', I will be updating with new chapter real soon. **

**It is good to be back with this story.**


	7. Read My Mind

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Seven – Read my Mind

The girls were eating their breakfast slower than they usually would. Trickster was eating at a normal pace and noticed the girls eyeing him once in a while, but they looked away when he made eye contact.

"Is there anything the matter?"

Aelita stuttered, "No…no…no, there is nothing wrong. We just had a rough night."

He looked into her eyes, then he looked down at his breakfast, "Sorry to hear that. I hope you have a better sleep tonight."

Sam started to visibly shake as she looked at him act so calmly, Yumi saw this and slapped her arm slightly, she whispered, "Calm down, he'll know."

"Know what exactly?" He said without looking away from his breakfast. He continued to eat despite their silence.

Sam cleared her throat, "Nothing…nothing."

He looked into her eyes, "Okay." He continued to eat his breakfast.

Aelita whispered with the other girls for a minute or two. They looked at Trickster who failed to notice them and grabbed a holo-screen in his hand and read the local planetary news.

Aelita stood up, "Sorry, but we are not hungry this morning. Could we be excused?"

He sipped his coffee before replying, "You may."

"Really? I mean…thank you. Come on, girls."

They left the kitchen and headed into the bowels of the ship. The computer's voice began to reverberate through the small kitchen.

"Are you sure it is wise to let them wander through the ship?"

"All the security doors are locked and they have access to only a few rooms aboard ship. I am not too worried."

"But you do realize they know about your…felonies."

"Yes, I reviewed the security footage from the medical bay. It really doesn't matter whether they know or not. Soon, they will know the truth behind the crimes."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because they will steal the Goggles of the Mind from my breast pocket as I sleep."

"How do you know that?"

"Because Aelita is clearly the brains behind their trio and if I were in her shoes, I would explore every possible reason for understanding me. She realizes I have been charged with those crimes, but at the same time, she feels conflicted with all the good things I have done for them. Since she has seen the power the Goggles provide, she will steal them from me to explore my mind. So tonight, I will be reliving old memories."

"What do you want me to do about it, sir?"

"Nothing, do no action to prevent them from stealing the Goggles."

"But sir…"

"If I am going to send them back home, I need them to trust me. If I try to confront them personally, they will go on the defensive and shut me out. This is the only way I can regain their trust. It is just an added bonus I have to do nothing on my part, which is a rare occurrence."

He sipped his coffee again and continued to enjoy his breakfast.

* * *

"What? Aelita, are you sure this is the way you want to go about it?"

"Look, we have seen what those Goggles can do and I have a feeling they are still in his breast pocket. We go in his room tonight and we can get to know why he did all those bad things."

Yumi shrugged, "I say we should jettison in an escape pod and take our chances."

"Yumi, I know you are still depressed and everything. But need I remind you, we are stuck in the far future and have no idea how things work here. What if we crash-land on a planet? Or on an asteroid? Besides I researched some of the things in the VMD and trust me we are safer on the ship."

"Fine, Aelita. But how do you intend to go about this?"

"Simple, we sneak into his workshop at night when he is sleeping and take the Goggles. We bring them back here to the Stasis Chamber, then we can delve into his mind and get to know him."

"Why don't we just ask him?" Sam suggested.

Yumi scuffed, "Yeah, that will be a great way to approach this. 'Hello Trickster, last night we found out you are a wanted criminal and we were wondering why you did the things you did.' I'll tell you that is a one-way trip to the airlock for us."

Sam calmed herself down, remembering what Aelita said earlier, "Ok, Aelita. I agree with your plan. But have you thought out any of the specifics?"

"Not really, I mean how hard could it be for me to sneak in and steal something?"

They both looked at Sam, "What?"

Yumi smiled, "Well…you did have a small crime streak before you dated Odd and we were wondering…"

"Okay, okay, jeez…Aelita, it is different to steal from someone in their sleep. You have to take in a few factors: How deep of a sleeper the person is, what position they sleep in, where the item you want to steal is on their body, and so on. Now you know where the item is, but the other two you won't know until you are actually there."

"So do you have any pointers for me?"

Sam smiled, "Okay, here is what you do…"

* * *

They acted nonchalant for the rest of the day. Every minute drawing them closer to their goal and understanding everything. When midnight finally came, Aelita started her plan. She left the triple bunk bed they were sleeping in and walked toward the workshop.

It wasn't hard to navigate through the ship since the lights were still on. She thought this was a little awkward for the lights turned off at a preset time. She shrugged this off and headed for the workshop. The door slid open quietly and she tiptoed in.

She remembered what Sam said, "Stay close to the shadows."

She closed the door behind her as the second piece of advice came, "Don't do any of that tiptoeing crap for it never works. Stay balanced and quietly walked over to him."

She flattened her feet and walked slowly to the hammock, "Make sure to always watch for any reaction. If he reacts, stop and take a moment before walking again. When you get close to him, control your breathing."

She got down on her knees and slowly extended her hand, "Keep your balance."

She undid the breast pocket clasp and slowly slid her hand into his pocket, she felt something metal. She almost squealed in excitement, "Also don't get happy until you are clear of the crime scene."

Her fingers took hold of the Goggles of the Mind and started to walk away, "Lastly, never just run after you get the item. Only run when you know you're clear."

Exiting the workshop, she walked away as normal. After she was gone, Trickster opened his eyes, "That's a good girl."

Aelita examined the Goggles and she placed them on her eyes. Immediately she felt a response as if the front of her body felt like a large invisible plug attached itself to her. The sounds and sights of the real world faded to black as the golden cumulus cloud with a billion blinking lights came into view.

Her body starting to feel weightless as her mind began to interface with every other mind in existence. She randomly saw through other people's eyes, the many places and things she has seen, and only if the others could have seen them as well. Then she remembered about the frames, she grabbed them and rotated them just as Trickster did. They opened outward and everything she saw was displayed in the middle of the room.

"Whoa, Aelita. What is all this? Aelita?"

She was frozen stiff in her standing position, "Aelita?"

Trickster viewed their progress through a surveillance terminal in his workshop, "Come on, Aelita. Figure it out, you have to focus your thoughts."

Those same words reverberated through her mind as she scanned the infinite minds of the cosmos. She took a deep breath and the swirling of every mind came to a halt. Then she focused on one mind, the one she needed to see. Trickster got back into bed and fell asleep to ensure this would work.

"Trickster." She said.

* * *

The cloud faded and revealed a six year-old boy in an adorable brown suit sitting in a single desk in the dining hall, all the tables and chairs were pushed to the side. An elderly man in a white robe paced around the desk as he was reciting the day's lesson.

"A Noun is a word representing a person, place, or thing. Please tell me the nouns in this sentence, 'The whistling rascal dances blissfully through the long trees'. Thetarin?"

The boy nodded his head and continued to work on a small robot on his desk. It was clear the boy had no desire to pay any attention to the lecture or his tutor. The elderly man sensing this, clapped his hands together. The boy was jolted out his concentration.

"Thetarin, have you been listening to a thing I've been saying for the past ten minutes?"

"No, sir." He said honestly.

"Well, why don't you tell me what you were doing?"

"I was just making this." He pointed to his small robot, "It is a simple hoverbot. It is the McCraiger design with some minor touches. Here…" He flipped the switch and the small motor began to run and it lifted the robot around the room. "…the only thing I changed was collision detection. It will stay a safe distance from any object."

The tutor was amazed at what he was seeing, "You're right. You created and programmed this all in a matter of ten minutes?"

"Yeah…not fast enough?"

"No, no, this is extraordinary. You are truly gifted. Wait until I tell your parents."

Thetarin smiled with pride.

* * *

Aelita stopped and took the Goggles off, "Man, that is exhausting."

"What? Wearing goggles?"

"No…well yes, the entire time it felt like my body was far away. It was as if my mind and body were separate. It was too weird."

"So, what do we know about him now?"

Aelita rubbed her chin, "He was raised in upper class society judging by the surroundings and the tutor. He has a love of robotics and mechanical devices, which we already knew. His real name is Thetarin and he is one of the most adorable six year-olds I've ever seen."

Yumi sighed, "But so far, we haven't seen anything relating to him being a criminal."

Aelita took a deep breath, "Okay, here I go again."

She wore the Goggles again and the visions continued.

* * *

Thetarin was older now. He stood tall as a young man and he faced his father who sat comfortably in a cozy chair in the study, sipping his tea. Thetarin was looking angrily at the man in the chair.

"Father, why did you do it?"

"Do what?" he said with a smile knowing what his son was mentioning.

"You paid McCarthy Engineering University a substantial amount of money every time I was about to graduate to tell me I failed the year and had to repeat. I spent two years ace'ing classes I should have passed the first time through. So why?"

"I thought the beating I gave you when you were six should have taught you something."

"It did, it taught me how cold and cruel of a father you are. I've been defying you all my life. Also, the headmaster turned down this year's donation and let me graduate."

His father put down his tea, stood up, and yelled, "What? They wouldn't do that, who could say no to money?"

"He did, 'father' and I have a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as a minor degree in Metaphysical Science. Aren't you proud, father, at what your little boy has become?"

His father slapped him hard across the cheek, "Never sass me, boy. You've become a disgrace to our family unlike your brother, Dreyfus. I can't look at you right now. Leave!"

"This is the only time I will comply with you, father. Oh, Cecilia says hi."

His father mumbled, "Damn Harlot."

* * *

The scene faded, but another emerged in its place. He was a few years older and he was dueling with a gentleman with black hair and a small pointed goatee. Their swords met in a deadlock as they glared into the eyes of their opponent.

"Well, Thetarin, you certainly got better since last time."

"You mean when you kicked dirt in my face and forced me to yield? Then yes. But now we are on a high rise catwalk, no dirt to help you cheat, Dreyfus."

"A true warrior never takes defeat as a possibility."

"You are no true warrior. A true warrior would never sign their soul over to that damn mafia."

"The Desert Rose Mafia rules over Arlunola. We may be members of the Four Families and hold all the wealth, but they hold all the power. I would be a fool not to side with them."

"And the Human Federation? You side with them as well?"

"It was your 'friend' that brought them to Arlunola in the first place. They want Enigma and so the Desert Rose sided with them to prevent their own destruction."

The sounds of battle were heard from the doorway behind them.

"It seems your friend has met the Federation Soldiers waiting for him. I hope they kill him like the way God killed Cecilia."

Trickster grew angry, "Never talk about Cecilia that way! And Enigma is stronger than you think! Lastly, my name is no longer Thetarin! It is Trickster!"

He threw back his brother and banged into the railing at the end of the catwalk. Dreyfus tried to balance himself, but Trickster jumped down on him and drove his sword deep into his brother's chest. Dreyfus gasped for air as he felt life slip away from him.

Trickster brought himself so close he could feel his brother's breath, "I have no brother. Die and may all the horrible things you've done die with you!"

He pulled out his sword and kicked Dreyfus over the side. The last time he saw his brother was falling down into the desert countless miles below. Trickster sat leaning against the railing feeling the extent of his injuries.

* * *

Aelita took off the Goggles again feeling winded, "Wow! That's weird."

Yumi shivered, "He killed his own brother?"

Sam commented, "He did and it was out of self-defense, they were going to kill each other. But if you thought Dreyfus was scary, seeing his dad gave me the creeps."

"Sounds like he wasn't very much loved in his life. But what about Cecilia? She sounds like a good person from the way they were hinting toward her."

"Yeah, if it someone the father hated, she must have been a good person."

"Well, we should continue." Aelita said and wore the Goggles.

* * *

Trickster was the same age as the last scene except he was bathed in daylight as he looked up at his captors. Three heavily armed soldiers stood behind him and an officer of the Human Federation. Trickster was on his knees with a gun pointed at his head.

"Zere's novere to run, Enigma. Come out of ze shadows."

More of the scene was revealed. They were underground with a crack in the ceiling was where the daylight was pouring from. The rest of the room was covered in darkness, though they were crates shown by the reflecting light. Overall, the room seemed to be an abandoned hangar of some sort.

"Enigma, don't do it! I'll be fine!"

The officer that stood over him pistol-whipped him across the head, "Zilence!"

"I don't know what scares me more. The gun you have to my head or your mastery of the English language?"

He laughed and so did Enigma from within the shadows. The soldiers walked in front of their officer and readied their flashlights and scanned the darkness. Trickster looked up from the corner of his eye to see they were all distracted and knew this was his chance. He rose to his feet and swatted the gun away from his head. It flew through the air, but with his superior reflexes, Trickster sprung up and grabbed the gun. Nearly a second later, the tables were turned and the gun was pointed at the officer's head.

"Bye, bye." Trickster said and pulled back the trigger. The officer fell onto to his knees and down to the floor. His subordinates faced him, then Trickster hesitated.

"Crap." He reached for his Trick Shield. He gripped it in his hand and threw it in front of him, the disc opened up and created a green field in front of him. The laser bullets they fired were absorbed by the shield.

He bit his lip and thought, "This will only last for a few more seconds before the power cells runs dry."

Then from the darkness, a black blade attached to a rope shot forth. But they noticed it wasn't rope, but a long strand of muscle. It swung across the room and slashed through the three soldiers as they collapsed on the floor and their guns still firing wildly through the air.

Trickster pressed a button on his glove and deactivated the shield. The disc fell from the air and closed back up. He scooped up the disc as he stepped toward the edge of the darkness.

"You're all right, Trickster?" A voice from the dark said.

"Yeah, none of the bullets got through. It seems my TrickTech saved us again."

The voice smirked, "It was bound to some time."

"Oh haha, very funny. Considering how often it has saved your butt, I'd think you would have been more respectful."

"You know I am just joking…is everything here?"

"Let's see…" Trickster removed a digital pad from the corpse of the officer, "General Coldhart is dead and it looks like…yep, everything is here plus some more."

"Good, let's return these supplies back to the colony. I bet those people are starving by now."

"I'll bring the ship in and you got the lifters ready."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

The scene began to blur, Yumi and Sam stood up from their chairs.

"What is happening?" They said as the scene faded away.

While pondering that question, something thudded down on the floor. They turned to see Aelita unconscious on her side and she wasn't moving. Rushing to their friends, they tried to stir her awake.

Sam placed two fingers on her neck, "This is strange, her pulse is normal and yet it's like she is not home."

Yumi cradled her friend, "Wake up, Aelita. Come on, wake up."

The doors slid open and they turned as Trickster entered the room.

"Give me room."

They slid apart and Trickster knelt down over the pink-haired girl. He removed the Goggles and poked a syringe needle through her neck. He pressed down on the handle and waited a few seconds. Then the color returned to her face, he smiled knowing he arrived in time.

"Reminds me of my first time." He chuckled.

"Will she be all right?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine. I hope you all understand, I am not the bad guy."

Yumi gave him a small smile, "Well, you deserve to explain."

Aelita's brow furled and her eyes slowly opened. The first sight she saw was Trickster, then she looked to her right and saw her friends.

"You went into a state of mental separation. It happens when you wear the Goggles for too long. Your mental faculties leave your body when you wear them. So if you wear it for an extended period, they will permanently leave and your body will become a rag doll."

Aelita's throat was dry and her voice strained, "So, what now?"

"You need to rest, you used a lot of energy creating those projections. Besides your friends seem more than worried about your health, I will give you any explanation you need, but now is not the time."

The girls looked at each other and then to Aelita as if she held the answer. She nodded and the girls agreed with him.

"Right then, let's all get some sleep." He said and scooped up Aelita in her arms. They walked over to the triple bunk bed, the girls got situated first before Trickster eased Aelita into the empty bed, he pulled the covers over her.

"Good night, girls."

"Good night." The said almost in unison.

He walked out into the hall and the door closed behind him. He pulled the Goggles from his pocket. While they were happy to see Aelita conscious again, he performed a sleight-of-hand move and got thm into his pocket without anyone noticing. He headed to the room with the black door and the painted 'X'. He wasn't going to let this magic item do any more harm at the moment.

After he put the item away, he asked, "Computer, projection."

"We will arrive at Es Darta in twenty-two hours."

"Good, I am going to sleep. Wake me up in case of an emergency."

"Understood, sir."

He entered his workshop and got out of his clothes. He laid back on the hammock and pulled his blankets over him, closing his eyes.

"Aelita..." He thought back to when he first met Cecilia, "...you remind me of my dear Cecilia. Sweet, kind, an innocent smile beguiling a strong will underneath. I wonder if..." He yawned, "...you two would have been friends? I wonder if...I..." He fell asleep before he could finish his thought.


	8. Who I Am

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Eight – Who I am

The next morning, Trickster insisted that Aelita underwent a medical checkup to be sure. She didn't refuse at all and laid down on the examination table in the medical bay. From one side of the table, a plastic screen extended over her body and locked on the other side. Trickster turned the machine on, the screen turned a digital blue and showed Aelita's skeletal structure as the rest of the body was a silhouette.

"Computer, give me a medical scan, level five."

"Acknowledged."

A bright beam of light traveled vertically down the screen from head-to-toe. He continued pressing buttons and getting information on the table's monitor.

"Skin temperature, normal….skin destiny, normal…skin energy pattern, normal…"

Aelita was sweating after every time he said normal as she waited to hear something was wrong with her. The other girls weren't sweating, but they were nervous all the same.

"Cellular Structure, normal…skeletal structure, normal…muscular structure, normal…"

Aelita was sure now there was something wrong with her. While the other girls seemed more nervous as well. Trickster remained calm as the results continued coming in.

"Everything seems to be normal, Aelita. There are no lingering effects of the mental separation anywhere in your body. Just to make sure, Computer, intensify scan to level ten."

"Acknowledged."

Another beam swept across her and more results came in. Then the monitor flashed red for a moment.

"Computer?"

"Sir, deeper analysis has revealed a strange aura that is projecting from the girl."

"Can you identify it?"

"Proceeding the data, estimation to analysis…two days, four hours, and nineteen minutes."

Trickster bit his lip, "Damn, I thought it would be sooner."

Aelita shouted, "There is something wrong with me and I have to wait over two days to find out what it is?"

"The computer didn't say that. Finding a strange aura doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong, just different."

"But it could be wrong, couldn't it?"

Trickster took a small breath, "Yes, but it just maybe that the aura is harmless. So please, relax."

It was Aelita's turn to take a breath, this made Trickster smile.

"Feel any better?"

"Yes, a little."

"Well, you will feel normal soon enough. What would you all like for breakfast?"

Yumi rubbed her chin, "I haven't thought about it, but can your ship make anything?"

"Yes, it can. It has a matter synthesizer for a food replicator."

She smiled, "I haven't had a Japanese meal since before XANA had taken over. Could I have white rice cooked with brown rice."

"Three croissants with a cup of hot chocolate." Aelita said immediately for this was her favorite breakfast.

"Three brown sugar cinnamon pop-tarts with two strips of bacon. Also two waffles coated with maple syrup and a large cup of chocolate milk." Sam said with a smile.

The other girls stared at her. Yumi held a hand over her mouth as she prevented herself from laughing and Aelita was doing the same.

"What?"

Aelita took a deep breath before speaking, "Well…with an appetite like that, you are definitely Odd's girlfriend."

Yumi couldn't contain it any longer and laughed real hard. Sam glared at her friends with hands on her hips and one foot tapping.

Trickster rolled his eyes yet had a smile, "Computer…did you get all that?"

"Yes, sir. Processing…they should be finished by the time you arrive at the kitchen."

"You heard the computer, to the kitchen."

The four walked down the corridor. Yumi and Aelita were still laughing as Sam was still glaring, though it was starting to get annoying.

"Okay, guys, quit it. So, a huge appetite is yet another thing Odd and I have in common."

Yumi wiped a tear away as she stopped laughing, "Sorry, but we used to make fun of Odd whenever he did stuff like that. So, it is hard to get out of that habit."

Sam shrugged, "Okay…I guess."

Aelita put a hand on her shoulder, "Look, we are sorry. We are probably laughing because we miss the way the boys used to do things. Like Jeremy with his smile."

"Ulrich's shyness yet his tough exterior."

"Odd's insanity for extreme sports and, of course, his appetite. Yeah, I see what you saying, Aelita."

They all smiled and nodded toward each other. Trickster breathed a sigh of relief for they were finally recovering from the loss.

When they arrived at the kitchen, their breakfasts were already set up on the table. They noticed they were sitting in the same seats as yesterday. They ate breakfast without saying a single word and thanked the computer for a wonderful breakfast. Trickster took his seat in the pilot's chair as the girls started to leave, but they remembered what he promised last night.

The girls grabbed two chairs from the kitchen and brought them over. Aelita took her seat in the co-pilot's chair as the other girls scooted in close.

"So…Trickster, you said that you would explain some things and we were wondering if…"

He smiled, "…yeah, I did promise that. Ask away."

"We just want to know more about you."

"Okay, I will start from the beginning. You already know I was born into a rich family. We were one of the Four Families, each family's ancestor capitalized on a particular industry and made their wealth because of this. You see…the first colonists arrived on Arlunola were poor and so the ancestors sort of…exploited to get rich and there are still people who bear resentment."

"Okay, what about your parents?"

"My parents…yes, there is some history there. First off, what you should know is I am the middle child of three children. My older brother, Dreyfus, was beloved by my parents for being the perfect son, the son they wished for. My younger sister, Shelly, was beloved for she was the only daughter. My parents hated me because I refused to conform to their wishes as Dreyfus did."

"Why?"

"You see, my parents were under the belief that children were merely things you used to increase one's own status. They hated me because I was a free thinker and refused to be merely a gentleman in a suit. My father would beat me constantly, he insisted this was because he would beat the insubordination out of me. Though all it did was make me more defiant in the end."

"So you left?"

"It wasn't as easy as that. After I gained my interest in engineering and robotics, I started to invest what allowance was given to me into the stock market. This was all at the age of six when I started. I lost, I won, then I learned to play the stock market like a game and won every time without fear of losing. My own wealth that I earned was used to fund my education at McCarthy Engineering University. Oh I remember the look on my father's face the day I left, it was priceless."

"But why did you go back?"

"Well, I wish I could leave it behind, but it was the only home I got. My father swore when I left, he would never allow me to return, but my mother finally did something good in my life and convinced him otherwise. I started the university at twelve, would have graduated at fourteen, but my dad paid them to not let me graduate for two years. When I returned, I got a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor degree in Metaphysical Science."

He sighed, "Though I got my degree, no one would hire me because of my father. I tinkered in my secret workshop that I had for years, but it did nothing to stop my depression. It was then that I met her…"

Aelita whispered, "Cecilia…"

He nodded, "The most beautiful woman of all time in my opinion. She was running away from the police while I snuck out of my family's mansion. She was caught because she ran into me, but I paid for whatever she stole, though it didn't matter. She was one of the heirs to the Four Families. Her blonde hair shimmered in the wind, her smile was that of a porcelain doll, her hips were…" He stopped there, remembering the age of his audience.

He pretended to cough before continuing, "Anyway, she was special to me and was my girlfriend for two years. When she became eighteen as an heir of the Four Families, she was forced to marry to Dreyfus. But she refused and married me before the official ceremony. Oh man, the looks my family gave me were priceless, I only wished I had a camera."

"She must have been great to love you more than going with tradition." Yumi smiled, wondering if she would do that if her family had rejected Ulrich.

He sighed, "Yeah, she was special. Then during her sixth month of pregnancy, she died saving me. There was this old tower that we were walking by and without thinking, she pushed me out of the way before it fell on her. I never really understood why she did that…to sacrifice herself and our unborn child to save me?"

"She loved you." Aelita commented.

"It must be…after she died, I went into seclusion in my workshop until my parents ran afoul with the Desert Rose Mafia and they offered me as repayment for their grievance. After realizing that they discovered the workshop, I narrowly escaped from Arlunola by stealing this ship that was in port."

Sam shrugged, "You ran? What did that solve?"

"Hey, I lived and at the time, it was all that mattered. So I left everything behind and soon after, I landed on a Human Federation-controlled world and that is where I met Enigma who stowaway-ed on my ship. They say every great friendship starts with a fight and ours was no exception."

"Enigma, could you tell us more about him?"

"He is my best friend and also on the run as I was. He was the product of a Human Federation experiment to create the perfect solider. It was supposed to give the human subject, the ability to transform into anything. Due to the process, he lost his human form and was transformed into a more alien structure that seemed to be made of muscle. He suffers from complete amnesia of his previous life, but he can transform into anything organic with ease."

"What about inorganic?"

"Good question, Aelita. You see it is painful for him to turn into metal, let's say, because he has to rearrange his living cells to non-living cells, so he prefers to avoid the searing pain and mainly keeps to organic creatures."

Yumi shook her head, "Sorry for sounding impatient, but why do you have a wrap sheet the length of my leg."

"Goes with the territory, the Human Federation was once noble for many millennia until about 20'000 years ago when they became power hungry and wanted to conquer every world they could. But because of this attitude, they have gained many enemies…the Kalsharian Empire, several ship faring guilds, the independent planets, and me, of course, stand against them."

"They branded you a criminal for doing…what?"

"Oh sorry, I didn't get to the point. They prey on the independent planets because they stand alone against them and are easier to conquer. Whenever they cause trouble for the innocent people, Enigma and I would stop them and return anything that was taken. So they labeled as criminals for always getting in their way and if a few bad people go down, then so what?"

"Like your brother?"

Trickster shot a glance to Sam, "Yes…my brother was insane and he was especially angry with me because I stole Cecilia from him. He would chase me relentlessly to bring me back to Arlunola and become the mafia's damn slave. But that worked in my favor…"

"How?"

"They waited too long and killed my parents in retribution. The day I received the news, I was the happiest in my life. Don't get me wrong, it was horrible and yet great for all the terrible things they did had died with them. Of course, this sent Shelly after me and…that was bad."

"Why?"

As he was about to answer, the dashboard began to beep. He looked down at the radar, which showed three red blips coming fast.

"Ladies, I strongly suggest that you fasten yourself into your seats because we are about to come under fire in a few seconds."

Yumi and Sam got out of their chairs and found two seats that were built into the ship and buckled up real tight as Aelita did the same.

"Who's attacking us?" Aelita asked.

"Computer, identify."

"Three Human Federation Sparrow Class fighters are approaching from six o'clock."

"Damn those Federation dogs. Computer, engage auto-pilot. I am going to swat some bugs from the skies."

* * *

**Next Chapter, the dog fight and their arrival on Es Darta.**


	9. My Family

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Nine – My Family

The three Sparrow Class fighters were closing in fast. They armed their lasers and fired, the shots impacted safely on the New Light's shields. The girls and Trickster were jostled around when it hit. He stood up and walked to the center of the bridge.

"Computer, lower turret chair."

"Yes, sir."

The ceiling above him made whirring noises as the chair was lowered. It was a legless leather chair with a metal helmet attached to the top. Trickster sat in the chair and fit the helmet on his head. The plastic visor fell down, extending all five individual screens over his face. The visor lit up and he could see a target crosshair and where the turret was looking toward. His hands gripped the handles that were built into the chair.

Wherever he swiveled the controls, the chair would swivel in place. Pulling the handles forward dipped the chair forward and same as with the back. His thumbs were hot on the trigger button as he waited to see the enemy in his view screen.

"Come on…come on, where are you?"

Then he saw the three enemies approaching fast. Without hesitating, he jammed the trigger buttons as hard as he could. Two red lasers flew through space and destroyed one of the fighters. The other two swerved in an evasive pattern after seeing the death of their comrade.

"They are trying to avoid me? Computer, fire a Sonic Screecher."

"Sir, are you sure?"

"Ladies, cover your ears."

The girls did what they were told and clasped their hands over their ears. Underneath the bridge and the outside of the ship, a torpedo fired and locked onto its target. Another volley of laser fire smacked against the shields.

"Computer…"

"Shields at eighty-seven percent."

The torpedo continued its course and when it got close to the target, it exploded in a burst of sonic energy. The fighter right next to the explosion was ripped apart by the screeching noise that traveled around everything. The noise washed over the New Light and the girls felt a huge discomfort for even with their ears closed, the noise was loud. Trickster was safe with the helmet being soundproof, but the last remaining fighter pilot didn't have such defense.

Trickster smiled knowing the fighter in his sights was helpless, so with a flick of the trigger, put him out of his misery. The fight was over and he returned to the pilot's chair.

"Computer, disengage auto-pilot and resume present course."

"Acknowledged."

Looking at the girls who were rubbing their ears, he smiled, "So, your ears are ringing?"

They grimaced at him and Aelita said, "Funny…"

"Sorry, the Screecher does that. You'll be all right in a couple minutes."

The girls sighed, knowing that it was hard enough to hear what he was saying. This also meant they couldn't ask their questions until their hearing returned.

Trickster rested in his chair, leaning back all the way with his arms behind his head. It was only when their hearing returned did they speak.

"So, you were talking about Shelly, your younger sister?"

"Yeah, that was a fun chapter of my life. She believed the death of our entire family was all my fault and went after me using one of my prototype battle suits. She was actually a good fighter, she had been trained in three martial arts since she was little. It was my parents' belief that a young lady should always know how to defend herself. But I defeated her and in my rage…threw her off my ship."

"What? How could you?"

"I felt betrayed, Shelly was always the reasonable one. She was always the cute and innocent one. For her to come after me and scream 'bloody murder', kind of took me back. Besides at the time, I thought if I got rid of her, then I would be the only member of my family left."

"So, you killed the other sibling?"

"No…actually. After I let her go from the hangar bay doors, I stormed out of there and didn't notice Enigma diving after her. He transformed into a flying creature and swooped her back onboard ship. It only worked because we were still in the low atmosphere, not in outer space. He took her to one of my stasis pods and activated the armor shielding, so I couldn't see her inside."

"What happened after that?"

"It was several months later that he confessed his actions and convinced me about the error I almost made. We reconciled and had a brother-sister moment. She is right now back at home looking after Alicia." Then he zapped his lips, realizing they didn't know about her and hoped they wouldn't follow up.

"Who's Alicia?" Aelita asked.

Trickster sighed and murmured, "Damn."

"What?"

"She is…complicated."

"How?"

He bit his lip, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Why?"

His anger was mounting, "Because I don't like to talk about it."

Aelita backed off, "Okay…okay…sorry."

Looking at her innocent face turn into a frown, he sighed knowing he must have hurt her.

"Alicia is…Cecilia's half-sister."

"What?"

"Her father while on a trip, met and had…relations with a young woman. The mother died in childbirth and her father sent some financial support, but couldn't invite her into the family because she was an illegitimate child. She was raised on the streets and was hurt by it. Eventually, Cecilia found out about her half-sister and made several calls to find out more about her. During their conversations, she showed a picture of me."

"Oh, I see where this is going.'

"One time when we pulled into port, she was there and noticed me in the crowd. Though I knew nothing of this at the time and so I didn't know about Alicia. Enigma was prepping the ship and encouraged me to take some time-off. I entered a bar and got mildly drunk. Then the next round came, Alicia posed as a waitress drugged it with a mind-numbing sedative."

Sam blushed, "Really…I never thought of that."

They all looked at her, "What? Odd and I liked to pull pranks on each other."

"Well, it was no laughing matter. During my state of unconsciousness, She did…certain things to me." Giving them a nudge of his head, they all realized what he meant, "His name is Daedalus, named after the great inventor. His full name is Daedalus Trickster Tocevo."

"He must have been so cute."

He shrugged his head and continued looking out into outer space.

"You…never seen him."

"No, I haven't…I couldn't."

"Why? He is your son."

"Alicia used me because she was unsure if I would help her, get her off the streets and into a nice life. Instead of talking to me, she used an underhanded tactic to force my hand into accepting her into my life. The anger I felt that day was enough for me, I left them at my family home with my sister and never looked back."

"You know you can't ignore this forever."

"I've heard those words before, Aelita. Right now, I can't face her without feeling a burning desire to end her life."

"But…a boy needs his father."

"I…I…" He took a deep breath, "…I know. But right now, I preferred to stay away from home."

"Thetarin…"

He turned to Aelita with an angry look, but took another deep breath, "My name is Trickster."

"Okay, sorry."

The bridge was filled with a deathly silence as they continued to fly. The girls didn't want to speak any more, they were afraid that he would get angry again. After a few minutes of quiet, he looked at his guests.

"Sorry, I lost my temper. What you say is true, Aelita. One day, I will have to face this and I suspect it is soon."

"Why do you say that?"

The computer spoke, "Sir, I am to tell you it is dinner time."

"Right, computer. What do you girls want to eat?"

They all looked at each other and shouted, "Pizza!"

* * *

After their pizza party, they all retired for the night. After having a good night's rest, the girls awoke and got dressed for the day. They wandered onto the bridge as they looked for Trickster.

"Good morning, ladies."

"Trickster, why are you up so early?"

He pointed out of the window, "This is why?"

They walked right behind his chair. They saw a large planet that resembled a gigantic city. The girls were amazed, but in a way it reminded them of the city XANA made in that horrible reality.

"Ladies, welcome to Es Darta. One of the richest independent planets found in the cosmos. You're really going to like it here…mind you, you have to watch your step."

* * *

**Next Chapter, Es Darta.**


	10. Es Darta

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Ten – Es Darta

Trickster brought the ship into docking and they wandered around the spaceport. The girls thought the New Light was amazing, but they were seeing different races of many shapes and sizes. The girls stopped and stared around, but Aelita did it one step further. A gelatinous alien almost twice her height that resembled a large thumb was in one of the lines and she always been curious whenever it came to her senses, so she reached out and stroked a small spot on the alien.

The alien's one eye glared down at her as a tentacle shot around her wrist. She gasped as more tentacles followed. Trickster stood in between them.

"What's going on here?"

The alien said, "Vos dauda tashfa hu iepprade."

Trickster stared at the glaring eye and said, "Ferdara mora, mos dauda afushra metarus disdon. Ses nes ar ture."

The alien nodded, "Dona la i hepen agur."

Trickster bowed his head, "Tha yu."

The alien went back down the line as Trickster turned to Aelita and grabbed her wrist firmly. They continued toward the exit as Aelita tried to keep up.

"Remember what I said about not staring and, more importantly, not touching."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Be careful next time. Zaluians aren't known to be forgiving."

"Okay, okay, let go. You're hurting my wrist."

Trickster let her go and she massaged her wrist as the other two walked up to either side.

"Aelita, what were you thinking?" Yumi asked.

"I guess curiosity got the better of me."

"At least, you weren't eaten."

"Yeah, but I made Trickster angry again."

"Don't worry about it. I feel he thinks nothing of it now. Come on, we don't want to get lost in the crowd."

They caught up with him as he scanned a 3D holographic display of Es Darta. He looked over his shoulder and saw the girls catching their breath.

"Good you finally made it, here is the map of Es Darta."

"So where are we going?"

"YOU are going here." He pointed to a small section of the map and it enlarged the section into a 3D structure.

The girls' eyes widened and their hearts skipped a beat.

"You're leaving us…at a mall?"

"Not just any mall. The Grand Primrosa Mall, it has over three thousand stores including a food court boasting twelve hundred restaurants, forty multiplexes, twenty holo-arcades, five skate parks."

Aelita and Sam smiled as they touched the display, but Yumi crossed her arms as she looked up at Trickster with a curious look.

"So, you are just going to leave us alone at the mall? Where we'll you be?"

"I will be in a place I'd rather you not be with me in. Trust me, it is rough."

"Okay…by the way, what did you tell that, um…Zul…Zalu…"

"Zaluian? I just spoke in her tongue and offered our apologies."

"But I thought you said they weren't forgiving."

He faced her and took her aside for a moment, "Don't tell them. The reason she forgave us was I told her that Aelita had a mental disease. It is one of the only ways that a Zaluian would even think about forgiveness."

They turned back to the others, "Okay, girls. I will be heading out now. Take that train over there." He pointed to a gate on their left, "It is a non-stop train to the mall and stay there until I return to pick you up."

"I hate to say this, but it is no fun being at the mall without money. What if we want to buy something?"

"I was getting to that actually. Here take this." He handed Aelita a green card. She swore it looked like a circuit board without any of the extensions.

"Take care of that, you'll need it."

"What is it?"

"It is the card that has direct access to my personal fortune. Spend as much as you want, but don't do anything crazy like trying to buy the planet. Trust me, I tried."

"Okay, we won't go crazy."

"Good, now I just have a few rules and few warnings to lay down. Besides the no staring and no touching rule," He side glanced at Aelita, "Stay together, don't talk to anyone, only go into stores if they have a translation matrix. Since we are humans, if you go to the food court, avoid any food that begins with the letter 'Q', 'U', 'X', and 'Z'. Also I wouldn't recommend any food that begins with 'Y' also."

"Anything else?"

"If I don't return by the time the mall closes, they will escort you to the hotel. So purchase a nice room for all of you to spend the night."

"What if you never came back?"

He sighed, "I will…I promise you."

"Okay, we will see you later then."

"Bye, girls. I should be back in a couple of hours. So, go nuts."

"Gotcha."

The girls walked toward the gate. Aelita turned to see Trickster fidgeting with the display as he figured his destination. She faced her and took a deep breath. For the first time since she has arrived in the fat future, they were alone and unsupervised. It worried her, but then she looked at her friends and felt like having some fun.

* * *

They waited only seven minutes before the train arrived. So far, the trip had been uneventful since the Zaluian. They remained seated until they saw the mall coming up to the window. They all leaned against their chairs and the sight of it was more amazing than that of the display. It was a floating cube hovering over a large crater-like structure. Supply ships flew back and forth from the structure and the mall to keep it supplied with food and merchandise.

"Wow, look at all the ships. I never even thought of any of these in my wildest dreams."

"At least, you were the only one who made a space ship, Aelita."

"It wasn't all me, Jeremy was brains behind it. I was just another set of hands." She sighed and slouched into her folded arms.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just wish I had something to remember him by."

Yumi nodded, "I know what you mean. Ulrich's smile was something to die for, but I was too confused to even ask him out."

"Not to mention your upbringing."

"Yeah, that too."

Sam smiled, "I remember Odd crashed into me while we were skateboarding. You should have seen how he worried over my gash, it was so sensitive."

"Well, there is nothing that can be done about that now."

Aelita rubbed her chin as she looked at the mall, "Maybe…"

* * *

Trickster walked down the darkened alleyways that he hated so much. Though he wished he could be where the girls were right now, but he needs something from this wretched slum.

As he walked from one flickering wall light to the next, he heard scurrying from the shadows behind him. He took a step and so did the scurrying, another step and yet another scurrying. Trickster reached into his vest and pulled out one of his guns. Turning around, he fired several shots and the would-be thief squealed and ran away back from where he came.

"Damn, Ratmen." He put away his gun and continued walking down the alleyway.

Eventually, a black metal door came into view. Surrounded by a hard metal frame, it was covered with scratches. A large pile of ash stood in front of the doorway.

Trickster shook his head, "Damn thieves, no matter how many my door takes out, there is always more."

He touched the door and it unlocked for him. Sweeping away the ash with his foot, he proceeded inside. The door closed and locked behind him.

* * *

**Next Chapter, the mall and all within.**


	11. Girls will be Girls, Part 1

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Eleven – Girls will be Girls, Part 1

The train pulled into the station. The girls rose from their seats and walked toward the small crowd of people who waited for the doors to open. The small ding chimed through the speakers and the doors opened. The crowd walked into the station as the girls became part of the crowd.

They followed their crowd toward the mall as the other crowd was heading toward the train. It was as if two rivers of people were flowing in opposite directions. The tunnel leading to the mall was getting closer and closer to the exit. When they walked passed it, they were hit with a huge wave of light. They raised their forearms to shield themselves from the light until their eyes can readjust.

It was only a few seconds before they could see again. They lowered their arms and looked out toward the mall. In their excitement, they walked close to the railing to get a better view of everything.

Story after story, they looked up at the daunting height. It seemed the floors stretched to infinity. They continued looking up until they saw a sun roof that beamed down the sunlight that illuminated the mall. Then their gaze turned downward and saw the same number of floors heading down and another sun roof at the very bottom.

"This place doesn't seem to have over three thousand stores."

Aelita looked around and saw a 3D holo-projection system like the one Trickster was using before they left. Sam and Yumi were still looking at all the wonders the mall had and the countless races that they've never seen before, so Aelita quietly walked over to the large hologram having a pretty good idea what it was.

It was a large 3D question mark rotating around slowly. She touched it and it became the mall directory. Seeing all the options she had, she typed in her query.

"Wow, this is amazing."

"You can say that again, Sam. What do you think, Aelita?"

Yumi turned to see her friend wasn't she was last she looked.

She began to panic, "Aelita! Aelita, where are you?"

She looked around and saw her friend thumbing through the mall directory. Tapping Sam on the shoulder to get her attention, they worked their way through the crowd toward Aelita. Yumi was bumping shoulders and she didn't apologize, she allowed Sam to have that honor.

When she was in reach, Yumi gripped Aelita's arm and turned her, so they could face each other. Yumi held her friend's shoulders firmly in hand.

"Aelita, you scared me. Please don't do that again."

"Yumi…I didn't mean to scare you. You two were so amazed about what you were seeing, I…didn't want to bother you." She looked toward the floor.

After looking at her friend's disappointment, Yumi gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about it. Next time though, please tell us where you're going. I think the boys would have liked us to stick together after all we've been through."

Aelita shrugged away, "Please, don't mention them."

"Why? You were the one who wanted to keep living for them."

"Just not today, please…" Aelita looked into her eyes as tears began to form.

It took a few seconds, but she realized why she was about to cry, "Oh my god, its today, isn't it? Jeremy's birthday."

Aelita wiped away a tear and nodded, "Yes, it is today."

"I am so sorry, Aelita. I had completely forgotten."

"Its okay. Here I am getting sad when we are in a place like this."

"That's fine, Aelita. You can feel sad if you want."

Aelita shrugged her head, "No, I should be all right now."

"You sure?"

Aelita nodded, "Yes, I needed to get that out of my system."

"Well, where do you want to go?"

"We haven't had anything to eat in a while."

"Okay, let's find the food court." Yumi fingered through the directory and noticed Aelita's query.

"Wow."

Sam walked up to them, "Well, the aliens you bumped into are pissed, but they are moving away from us now."

"Aelita, I think Trickster hasn't been here in a long while."

Sam waved her hand, "Hello? Am I air or something?"

"Sorry, Sam. But according to this data, the mall has nearly seven thousand stores. There are six hundred floors, which have ten to twelve stores per floor. The food court is 275 floors up, near the top."

"Awesome. Once we had lunch, we can plan out what we want to do next."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Trickster stood inside a plain room. This was the second in his long line of defenses, but he had nothing to fear because he designed these after all. He moved through the three rooms without effort. After his small maze was traversed, he entered into the living room of his apartment.

It was a brick walled room furnished with a large holo-TV, a leather couch, some posters of Tech conventions, a few tables, and other assorted knick-knacks and furniture that made this place feel like home.

"Where did I put that damn thing?" He rubbed his chin as he made his way to the fridge. He opened the door and saw the beers in there.

"Yep, no one has gotten passed my door. Still seventeen beers…" He pulled one out, "…now sixteen."

He pulled a bottle opener from the drawer and popped of the top off. Taking a quick swig, he began looking around the apartment trying to remember where he put the thing he was looking.

* * *

The ash and dust swirled around the destroyed city. Great stone buildings reduced to ruins, the last remnants of their former glory. The girls ran over a cracked fountain and made their way through the street to find some cover.

They kept their backs against the wall. Smoke drifted from the destroyed vehicles parked in the streets. The sounds of battle could be heard in the distance.

Their clothes have also been changed.

Yumi was wearing a black tank top with a katana sheathed and strapped to her back. Her black pants were covered with a thin metal plating down the sides. Her boots had the same plating and an additional attachment. She wore red gloves that fit perfectly over her hands. A transparent plastic visor covered her eyes.

Sam was wearing a gray tank top and camouflage pants. Black military boots graced her feet and she wore the same visor over her eyes. Her hands were covered with black leather gloves. A gun was strapped on both sides of her hips.

Aelita was wearing full plate that covered her top and over her right shoulder down to her forearm. She also had metal bracers and white gloves. She wore hip hugging white pants and exposed her mid-drift. Her two final accessories were white boots and the same visor as her two friends. She didn't have a weapon, but a large shield. Three semtex charges were strapped to her back.

Sam pressed the radio piece in her ear, "The commander says the Psi-slave beacon is in visual range. Their position is being overwhelmed by the converted forces. We have about four minutes until they are taken. So we have three minutes until they are forced to use lethal methods to ensure their survival."

Yumi peered around the corner, "I see the beacon. But it is well-guarded."

They carefully looked around the corner with her. The beacon was a large tower that pulsated a large purple ring over the sky. Five brute-like aliens in large armored suits, their eyes were sewn shut and their large mouths growled as their bloodlust was quaking with the far distant sounds of battle. Three were standing watch along the street and two were personally guarding the beacon. Each was equipped with a large two-handed energy gun.

The girls went back into hiding.

"We have to hurry. Aelita, let's treat this like a tower run. Try to stay close to any place you can find shelter. Sam, you give me cover fire as I run in with my blade. Ready?" She grabbed the hilt of her katana.

Aelita and Sam nodded.

"Go!" Yumi shouted and they ran around the corner.

The first alien was taken aback by their battle cry. Yumi unsheathed her blade and sliced him down in two strokes. The second alien, who was ten feet away, aimed his gun for Yumi and began to fire. She deflected the slow bolts with her blade and dodged them to keep her pattern elusive.

Sam pulled out her two guns and gave her friend the cover she needed. Bullets riddled into him and he fell down dead. They continued to run as their objective was getting closer.

The three remaining aliens opened fire on the trio. Aelita was zigzagging to different places she could hide behind with her shield up, so had little risk of getting hit. Yumi took a bolt into her side and she crouched down as she held the wound.

"Yumi!" Sam yelled and reloaded her gun. A few bolts came her way and she was forced to take cover behind a building. Yumi sat up and winced in pain, but she still had to fight to protect her friends. She flexed her toes making the jetpacks in her boots ignite. She flew through the air and quickly closed the gap between her and the third alien.

The jetpacks stopped, but she continued to fly. Bringing his blade in front her, she stabbed him through before landing on her feet. Using the momentum, she remove her blade, spun around, and sliced him in half. However heroic this move was, she was open for punishment.

The remaining two guards fired and she took two bolts in the chest. Her breath was short and rapid as she looked down at her exposed organs. Then she collapsed and died.

"Yumi!" Aelita shouted and went from behind her cover, but a few shots made her fall back behind it.

Sam shouted, "We've got one minute, Aelita. Prepare to run!"

She emerged from behind her cover and ran toward the beacon. She weaved back and forth before opening fire. Aelita knew she couldn't take them on alone, so she walked over to one of the alien corpses and began to pry the gun from its hands.

Sam fired away and killed another alien. But as she was reloading, the last enemy took this opening in her guard and fired one last bolt. It hit her just below the neck and she looked disbelieving that she had been killed, but joined her friend on the ground. The alien approached her corpse and tapped it with the end of his gun to make sure she was dead.

After he was reassured, he failed to notice Aelita holding the gun unwieldy, but managed to fire a bolt that blew up the alien's head. With the last enemy gone, she ran to the beacon and placed the semtex charges at its base. After the charges were armed, she ran as fast as she could away from the beacon.

She only hoped there was still time. The blast sent her flying a few feet over the ground before rolling across it. As she coughed from the new wave of smoke that drifted over the area, she looked at the beacon falling into destruction.

As she stood up, the entire world seemed to stop. Then floating digital text read:

_Scenario 3128a CLEARED!_

"_The Siege of Nanterre", Normal Mode_

_Aelita-31245_

_Sam -12053_

_Yumi- 6003_

The girls were devirtualized and sent back to the real world.

* * *

"Here it is!" Trickster shouted as he removed a cylindral stone etched with runes from under his bed.

"I forgot I put it under the bed."

He placed it in his vest and walked toward the door. He gripped the handle as a thought hit him.

"It seems a little too early to end their fun. Besides it is rare to find me here, so maybe a movie before I go to get them."

He walked over to his chair and slouched into it. He picked the remote from the table, turned on the TV, and began to play the movie.

* * *

In the small room they played their game. It was one of the many rooms in a holo-arcade, they were three plastic bubbles each attached in a top and a base. On the other wall was a couch to rest on. In the middle of the room was a console and a holo-screen for selecting scenarios and displaying scores.

Yumi and Sam were nearly unconscious on the couch as Aelita was working on the console.

"This is strange isn't it, girls." Aelita said, but as she turned to the others, they did not feel like speaking.

"Sorry, I forgot that you two died in the simulation."

Yumi opened her eyes a crack, "Thanks…Aelita."

"They say that you two should be back to normal in a few minutes. Kind of strange that their method of virtualization is different than Lyoko's, the mind is sent in while the body floats in one of the bubbles and moves just like normal."

Knowing she wouldn't get a response, Aelita continued to go through the system and look at all the scenarios. In a few minutes, Yumi and Sam walked up next to her feeling better.

"So what are our scores?" Yumi asked.

"Well, you are not going to like it." She printed the scores on the screen.

Yumi's eyes widened, "Why am I in third place?"

"Your score gets penalized if you die first. This is why Sam's score stayed what it is."

"Then why did you get a high score?"

"Because I completed the scenario and was alive at the end. Those two achievements gave me ten thousand points each."

Yumi sighed, "So, what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know. The holo-arcade is fun, but dying is killer."

"Okay, then we can go somewhere else."

They walked over to a directory and fingered through the stores.

"Well, the holo-arcade was Aelita's turn. Now it is mine." Yumi said as she looked through. "Oh, we have to do this." She pointed at a store.

"Really? I thought that would be too…girly for you to suggest."

"Since we are in the future, we might as well try it out."

With a nod of their heads, the girls walked to the elevator and went down a couple dozen floors. They were going to go to a great place for them to relax and unwind, Francis Sequas's Spa and Fashion Boutique.

* * *

Trickster walked out the black door and it locked into place. He was feeling rather good after the movie he just watched, but that was all about to change.

"Trickster!" Said a rough voice through the dark.

"Oh no, not you." Trickster said unenthusiastically.

The creature that approached him stood three heads higher than Trickster. Its large arms sloped down as it hobbled on all fours. Its head was shaped like a lizard's with a frog's large throat. Its large ears hung down and his small beading eyes pierced into Trickster's gaze. He is a Bagolan, but not just any…

"Kerdva…"

"Trickster, you and I have a score to settle."

"Not about that Pordara Sail Race again? That was four years ago and I told you to check your rotor. If you did, then you might have won instead of floating in space for three days."

"No…I am not here about that."

"It's not about that fight we had a year and a half ago? How many more times do I have to kick your ass?"

The Bagolan grabbed Trickster by the collar, "Not anymore, today I am done with you!"

He wheeled his arm back and threw Trickster across the air. The strength that a Bagolan has is not to be taken lightly as the Human was sent high up. He must have flown over a few city blocks by now. He spun him the best he could to see where he was going and soon caught the sight of a large building approaching fast.

"Crap."**  
**

* * *

**Next Chapter, Trickster and Kerdva have their battle as the girls enjoy themselves. Also, there is a surprise.**


	12. Girls will be Girls, Part 2

**Author's Note:** I don't own Code Lyoko, etc.

Sorry for not updating in a long while, I was at the end of my curriculum and focused on getting my degree. So for your patience, I present to you a long enjoyable chapter twelve.

* * *

Chapter Twelve – Girls will be Girls, Part Two

The girls remained silent as they listened to the elevator music. They each had a little smile on their face for even some things don't change with time. The elevator dinged when they reached the designated floor. The door slid open and they stepped onto the actual floor and walked toward Francis Sequas's Spa and Fashion Boutique.

Their eyes drifted passed each store as they thought of the wonders the future had made. Then they looked upon the Boutique. It looked like a hair salon from back in their day, though some of the tools were different.

They approached the counter and rang the bell. They waited for an employee to become available, though it looked as everyone was busy with current customers.

"Please…take a zeat and I vill ve right vith you." Said one of the stylists.

They sat down and just enjoyed the moment. Their wait was only ten minute when a stylist became free. He looked like a celery stick with arms in a suit. Where his head is, there were three eyes, all on the left side, going down from biggest to smallest.

"Hello, young gerls. How may ve be of azzistence today?"

Yumi spoke up, "We would like a new hairdo and may we also peruse your fashion area?"

He put his two thin long fingers under his set of eyes and rubbed his skin, "Hmmm…" He looked up and down the three girls before drawing his conclusion, "…zorry, nothing I can do for you girls, now run along!"

Yumi's eyebrow raised, "What? You are rejecting us?"

"Yes, darling. I vill tell you vhy. You, darling, your skin complication is horrible. Ze pink hair suits her, but her cheekbones are too small for me to vork vith. Lastly…yikes, the last gerl has everything all vrong, her hair is ztylized too much, her skin, cheekbones, jawbones, and forehead are all…blah! I vill not vaste a zingle breath more explaining zis to you. Now, please leave, right now."

"Fine! We are going! You are worse to deal with than Trickster!"

"Trickster? You know ze Trickster?" His eyes widened and he perked up.

"Yes, in fact, we are guests abroad his ship. But why does it matter? We are leaving anyway."

They noticed the six thin tentacles at the bottom that made his legs, he scampered around in front of them, "Wait! I did not know you vere friends with ze Trickster! He got me three cases of Valdolian Hair Gel when Es Darta had that embargo. He zaved my business and my customers were happy. I do anything for ze Trickster and his friends."

Aelita spoke, "Then…you will help us?"

"Help? I vill give you free hairztyles for the barbarous vay I treated you. Come, darlings, come, ve have much to do. " He scampered along with them following closely behind.

"You…" He pointed to Yumi, "…sit here." He pointed to a seat and she sat down.

"You…" He pointed to Aelita, "…sit here." He pointed to a seat to the right of Yumi and she sat down.

"You…" He pointed to Sam, "…sit here." He pointed to a seat to the right of Aelita and she sat down.

They looked into the mirror in front of them and saw him examining their hair as he scampered back and forth between them.

"Yes…yes…okay…yes…" He muttered during his examinations.

"Are you…"

"Shhh…you can't rush art, darling."

"Sorry."

He went on for a minute more before he pulled out some tools.

"For you, my Japanese beauty. I vas thinking of doing a traditional Eastern hairztyle of feudal Japan."

"You know how to do that?"

"Of course, I am a Celleran. Whatever I am taught, I know forever and if you vant to be ze best of ze best in hairztyling, then you need to know every hairztyle. But I digress…for the pink-haired pretty, I vas thinking of flattening ze zides, adding curls to ze front on either zide of the eyes and giving ze hair a ztyle that matches its uniquenezz."

"Okay…you are the master at this."

"That I am, darling, that I am. Now for you…hmmm, zis is a challenge."

"Thanks." Said Sam sarcastically.

"I vas thinking of changing your hair from the long, ztraight ztyle to a dreadlock ztyle. I believe you'd enjoy that more to give you more of a traditional feel from your heritage."

"That might be fun."

"Excellent, I vill get ztarted right away. After I am finished, you may peruse the fashions I have to offer."

"Thank you!" The girls said in unison.

* * *

Elsewhere on the shadier side of Es Darta, Trickster saw the building he was flying toward. He held his hands forward and slammed into the building. Kerdva couldn't help, but to smile.

"Yes! Yes! Trickster, it is finally over!"

As he continued looking into the distance, he noticed a glint of light shimmering and it made him cut short his victory. A trail of smoke erupted from the light and flew toward the Bagolan.

"No, it can't be!"

Trickster stood there covered head-to-toe in a metal suit, floating with blue flames shooting from his jetpack as he hovered before his opponent.

"I upgraded my TrickSuit since the last time we met. It works off of nanotech now."

"You still are human underneath that fancy shell and I can't wait to peel it off." He roared and jumped toward Trickster.

With a simple weight shift, Trickster hovered a little to the left and evaded the attack. Kerdva followed through with the jump and landed on all fours. Turning around, he saw Trickster hovering in the same spot.

"You can't win, Kerdva. You are strong, I will give you that, but this suit is the next model."

"I can still win!" He roared and jumped.

Trickster sighed and pointed an arm at the Bagolan. The metal on the top of his forearm shifted to a ray cannon instantly and he fired a blue beam. It hit the Bagolan in the face and he fell back to the ground.

"I am being nice to you, that was the lowest setting. I am asking for your sake, Kerdva, to just let this go and walk away."

"You dishonored me, you smelly human, and no one dishonors a Bagolan." Another roar and a jump followed.

Trickster pointed the ray cannon again, but this time Kerdva was ready and gripped his arms in his large hands.

"Time for those to come off."

Trickster closed his eyes for a second before opening them, his suit electrified and the Bagolan let out a horrible scream and crashed to the ground.

"I suggest that you stop this now before you really get hurt."

"Never." He got up and jumped again.

* * *

"Okay, gerls. Open your eyes." Francis said and they looked at their own reflections in the mirrors.

Yumi spoke first, "Wow, this is my exact hairstyle on Lyoko."

Aelita saw the curls hanging in front of her ears and touched them, "Wow, indeed, these are beautiful."

"You can say that again. These dreadlocks…I don't recognize this weave pattern."

"Trade zecret, darling. Give them a moment more to dry and set in, I vill be right back."

Francis left to attend to the other customers. The girls continued looking in their mirrors as they couldn't believe the fabulous job he had done.

"This is awesome. Thank you for the suggestion, Yumi."

"Don't mention it, Aelita. I am thankful that our association with Trickster has finally paying off."

"Like him giving us a free ride aboard ship doesn't count…nor does giving us a card to his personal fortune doesn't count…"

Yumi rose a hand, "Enough! You made your point."

"If the fashions are anything like the hairstyles, then I am going to be one happy girl. I remember this one time where Odd…" She paused as she said his name. The other girls looked at her.

"Are you all right?"

She sniffed, "Yeah, in a moment."

"We can't think about the past. The boys would want us to enjoy ourselves in the here and now. So, who's turn was it to pick the next thing?"

Yumi pointed to Sam who was holding back tears, "It is her turn next."

"Well, she will get her chance after we are done shopping."

They remained silent for a little while as Sam recomposed herself. After a few minutes, Francis returned.

"Pardon me, ladies. Now onto ze zhopping, yes?"

"Sure."

"Then, follow moi. They are in ze back, darlings."

He led them to the back of the parlor area where a curtain hung on a metal rod. He slid the curtain back and walked down the hall. The girls followed him every step as they turned around the wall that stood in the middle of the small room.

"Kind of weird, right?"

"Not really, many cultures used this architecture to prevent their enemies from seeing into the next room or charging in."

They both looked at Aelita with a raised eye, "Hey, if you paid attention in history class, you would know this."

"Ladies, here we are." He slid back another curtain to reveal the Fashion side of the Boutique. The two walls were lined with shelves consisting of folded clothes. There were also displays where clothes hung on hangars as well as standalone shelves. Near the far wall was a countertop with two clerks standing behind cash registers.

"Now, darlings, I varn you now that the hairstyles vere free, But any clothes you purchase are not. However, seeing as you have friends like the Trickster, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Don't worry, we understand."

"Good…" He heard a ding echo across the store, "…a new customer, if you'd excuse me. I hope you enjoy yourzelves."

"Sure thing."

The girls looked around at the futuristic clothes that was displayed before them. Soon, they were picking out clothes from the racks.

Aelita grabbed a skin-tight suit, "Wow, this looks like my outfit on Lyoko if it was red and without the skirt."

Yumi smiled, "I am liking this…" She picked up a cyber-kimono, "So traditional and yet so futuristic. I am loving this."

Sam fingered through the t-shirts, "I don't know any of these bands."

One of the clerks spoke, "Personally, I like the 'Karmillan Revolution'. Their songs rock."

They turned to the clerk and gasped at her appearance. The part they could see above the counter was her head that was a green scaled sphere with a mouth stretching across the front. Three tendril-like limbs stuck out of the orbs, one was thicker than the others because it was her neck as the remaining two were evenly-spaced on the top of her head and had her eyes looking out from the end of the tendrils. Her black hair grew on the back and dripped down toward the ground.

"Sorry, we are not used to seeing a…a…"

She blushed, "Oh, don't worry about it. Some people out there may be offended, but I'm not. I am a Rasellin and let me guess…you all are Timeskippers, am I right?"

"Time…skippers?"

"You know…people who have skipped across time because of some freaky incident or cyro-statis. We get them now and again, they fascinate me every time."

"How could you tell?"

"Besides the clothes? No one is some taken in by the merchandise as you girls are. Most of them just browse through and leave. Oh, my name is Mandy."

"Aelita."

"Sam."

"Yumi."

"Nice to meet you all. Like I said, get the Karmillan Revolution shirt. Their stuff is always good."

"Sure, thanks. What else do you recommend?"

She gasped, "You want my opinion? Wow…this is really unexpected. Well…let's see what you got there."

They showed her the clothing they had picked, giving them explanations on some of the tech built into their new clothes. Afterwards, they began trying their clothes on in the fitting rooms.

"Let's see how you look, Yumi."

She stepped out of the fitting room in her cyber-kimono. It was purple with a golden flower pattern appearing here and there. She also wore a matching pair of sandals.

"This feels just like a normal kimono except for the digital shimmering now and again. What is built into this outfit?"

"Hold your hands like you were holding a baseball bat."

"Okay…" She made the gesture, "…what's supposed to…" She was cut off as her umbrella started to digitally compile itself.

"Whoa, that was awesome, Yumi." Aelita said, peeking out of her fitting room.

Mandy smiled, "The umbrella is completely interactive. You can feel the wood texture, it will block out the light, and be part of the world."

"So, how do I make it go away?"

"Just let it go."

Yumi released the umbrella and it decompiled as it floated toward the floor.

"Cool… Sam are you ready?"

Sam stepped out of her fitting room. She was wearing the Karmillan Revolution t-shirt, a pair of new boots similar to her old ones, she kept her skirt and pants, but got a nice pair of gloves stretching from her elbow to just under the knuckles. On the backs of her hands were two brooches.

"The left hand browses the internet and the right hand can basically do everything else media-wise. The metal rim on the brooch acts as the control panel. Since you mentioned you like boarding, your boots can compile for you a hoverboard."

"So...how do I?"

"Jump in the air and click your boots together, click them again to decompile."

"Sweet. Aelita, it is your turn."

She stepped out of the fitting room in her red skin-tight suit. She was right in that it looked like her outfit on Lyoko.

"This is the all-purpose female suit: humanoid model. It fits to your natural curves, it will be the only thing you need to wear ever again."

Aelita scratched her neck, "Thanks, this suit is…"

Mandy shook, "Don't touch that button."

Aelita stopped, but touched the button on her neck. The suit tightened a little more to show off her every contour. Aelita looked down, letting out a yelp, and then covering herself.

"How do I switch it back?"

"Feel the collar on your neck. You will feel several bumps on the suit, press the first bump you feel."

"I got it." She pressed it and the suit loosened back to her normal shape.

"I was about to warn you about that. The suit has three modes: Normal, Pajama, and Defensive. The first bump activates Normal, the second activates Pajama, and the third bump is the lock feature. Hold the third bump down and speak a password to keep the two modes locked. Speak the password to be able to shift into the other mode."

"Yeah, Pajama mode is kind of…revealing."

"It was meant for more…uh, intimate moments. Defensive mode is activated if you touch the jewel under your collarbone."

She touched the jewel and metal plating appeared on her shoulders, arms, hands, legs, feet, torso, and two metal plates rose up and extended to cover her mouth and nose.

"Flick you wrist down to shoot the laser on either hand. To use jetpack mode, stand on the balls of your feet. To stop, raise your feet up."

"Just like Odd with his laser arrows." She thought.

"Gotcha." Aelita touched the jewel again and switched to Normal mode.

"Is that all you will be getting today?"

"Yes, total it up. Don't worry about bagging it, we will wear them out of the store."

She tapped a few buttons on the cash register and their total came up.

"Wow, that is six digits long."

"Well, these are expensive clothing. Sorry, I should have mentioned that."

"Not a problem as long as Trickster finds out a long time from now."

They handed the card over to Mandy and she slid it in.

"Approved, you are good to go."

They thanked Mandy for her time and advice. As they left, Francis was doing hairstyles for three customers at once. He wished them goodbye as they left the store. After finding another directory, Sam chose their next location.

* * *

Trickster fell down and crashed through the roof of another building. Kerdva jumped to the roof and peered down the hole.

"The Almighty Trickster has lost a few steps." He shouted and began to laugh.

"You know what I hate about you Bagolans, it is the way you guys laugh."

He flew out of the building. He zoomed face-to-face with Kerdva, which took him by surprise. With this slight advantage, Trickster put a fist into his opponent's mouth and pulled out his tongue.

"What are you…?"

Trickster continued to fly up and dragged the Bagolan into the air.

"I think you need some drying off."

Trickster grabbed the tongue with both hands, he began to spin him round and round.

"The thing I hate about you Bagolans is the way you laugh, it sounds like a frog choking each time you do."

He let go of Kerdva and watched him fly into the night.

"Another thing, your smell isn't good either."

* * *

"Come on, Aelita. We all have to do the activities, it is part of what we agreed on the train."

"I know…but, the thing is…I am not that good at…skateboarding."

"That's good, because this is hoverboarding. Come on, now that I got a hoverboard at my disposal, I have to use it."

"Mind you, we will have to rent boards for you and me."

"Sorry, guys. Athletics isn't my strength. You have fun, I'll be just browsing." Aelita started to walk away.

"Aelita…" Sam stretched her hand, but Yumi stopped her.

"Let Aelita some time alone. She knows it is Jeremy's birthday, maybe a quick walk will clear her head."

Aelita away from the skating area, but stayed close as she browsed through the nearby stores.

"Massage Parlor…Pet Store…Music Store…Forget-me-Not Digital Recorders?"

She walked into the digital store.

The robot behind the counter smiled, "Welcome, young lady. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"What are these Forget-Me-Not's?"

"To put it simply, these digital recorders allows a loved one to be with you always."

"Like a picture?"

"More than that. It is a three-dimensional fully interactive holographic image that you wear on your wrist."

"Really? But what about limits?"

"Well, if you want to get into the particulars…" He began to explain the specifics.

* * *

Which Aelita would try to tell them a few minutes later. She ran out of the store smiling with tears of joy at the news she received. Three of the wristbands were one of her hands.

As she approached the skating area, she noticed Yumi and Sam laughing with two boys.

"Yumi? Sam? Are you going to introduce me?"

"They are Norzas and Kerhu, both of them are Gergrians. They look almost human except for the nose ridges."

"Yeah, nice to meet you…um…"

"Aelita."

"Well…Aelita, we would like you to meet a friend of ours. He would be perfect for you."

"I don't know about that."

Yumi crossed her hands, "It is not like that. They just want to hang out at this one place in the mall."

"Well…"

"Aelita, can we just have a good time? We are not forcing you to go, but we would like for you to be there for us."

Aelita shook her hands, "Okay…okay…I'll go."

The girls left without so much a word of what was in Aelita's hands.

* * *

Trickster flew toward where he threw Kerdva. He was cautious as he approached the crater left in the wake of the throw. The Bagolan was barely breathing as he laid in the center of the crater.

"Finally, it is over, Kerdva."

He chuckled as blood came out of the corner of his mouth, "Is it really?"

"You are defeated and broken. There is no more need to continue this fight."

"I suppose not. I have done my job well."

"What?" Trickster asked, his head tilted to the side.

"My job was to keep you here for as long as I could, so the others could move in."

"The Kerdva I knew, he would never team up with anyone. Who are you, really?"

"Nothing anymore. We knew…all about those girls you have with you."

"How could you have known they've been here since…this morning?"

"Yes, we spotted you with those girls at the train station and made a plan to harvest you all."

"Harvest? Wait…that means you're…"

Kerdva smiled, "Yes…we are. The form you see before you was of a creature that came to us willing to give any information he had about you. After his job was finished, we silenced him forever and harvested his body for our uses."

"Damn."

"It is too late for you to save your little female friends. They will soon…be…part of…the…the…" the impostor Kerdva died.

Trickster took no chance as his nanobots created a flamethrower on his forearm. He sprayed the molten liquid over the corpse, which eroded away in seconds. After which, he flew away toward the Grand Primrosa Mall.

"Hang in there, girls. I am coming."

* * *

"Right this way, ladies." Norzas opened the door into where they would have dinner.

The girls looked up at the sign and it read "The Lunar Mesa".

"This is a dance club for young people like us. Why don't you ladies go inside, we will join you shortly."

Yumi, Aelita, and Sam went inside as Norzas and Kerhu stayed by the door.

Kerhu opened his communicator and brought it inbetween him and his friend.

"We just received the signal that our superior has been silenced. We better step things up a bit. I can see our prey from inside the club. Join me immediately, we will have to go with Plan B."

"Understood." He switched off the communicator.

"Plan B is always so much fun." Norzas smiled.

"Yes, it is." Kerhu smiled back.

"Now, let's not keep the girls waiting."

The two entered the dance club as their smiles widened with the fiendish plan they have cooking inside their minds.

* * *

**Next Chapter, The girls are in trouble as Trickster hopes to arrive in time.**


	13. Rescue

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen – Rescue

Trickster was blazing across the airspace of Es Darta at a reckless speed. The train he took led him to nearly two hundred miles from the mall. Even on maximum speed, it will take him several minutes to get there…if there wasn't any trouble.

But if there was one thing that he knew was in his line of work, trouble is never far behind. Lights and sirens appeared as Trickster continued his course.

"This is the Es Dartan Security Force. You are currently flying an unregistered vehicle at speeds that exceed the limit over restricted airspace. Landing immediately or we will shot you down."

Trickster smiled, "I'd love to say you try."

The suit created more boosters on his back and flew farther than the ships behind him could follow.

"After him!" They shouted and followed.

* * *

Elsewhere, the girls entered the Lunar Mesa Dance Club where they saw many different people at their age from all kinds of races dancing on the floor. Lights changed color and various patterns appeared around the floor as the spotlights changed position. There was a bar by the door where the bartender sold malts, sodas, and other non-alcoholic drinks. Booths lined the walls, which allowed for breaks from dancing and private moments.

"Come on, we got to dance. It looks like some much fun." Sam said, dragging Kerhu to the dance floor.

Norzas stopped them, "But…we…have to meet our friend."

"Okay, but dancing right after?"

He faked a smile, "Sure."

They headed to a small hallway in the back of the club.

"Where does this go?"

"This goes to the VIP area. It is built for privacy."

The girls stopped walking, "Whoa, we are not those kinds of girls. We want to have fun, not…um…"

"Our friend is in the back. We are going to meet him and then, we go back to the dance floor. No funny business, we promise."

Sam said, "Girl Huddle!"

The three girls looked at each other and whispered.

"I don't like this."

"Aelita, they promised they wouldn't do anything."

"For all we know, they want to…you know."

"If they wanted to do that, they could have used some future tech or whatever gifts they have from being Gergrians. Come on and have some fun."

"I still don't know…"

"Okay, how about this…we go dancing for about ten minutes and if you still have doubts of having a good time, then we will make an excuse and leave. Is that all right?"

Aelita nodded, "Okay."

"Good, let's meet the guys."

They walked into the VIP room to see the three boys talking like they were seconds ago. When they noticed the girls, they stopped and smiled.

"Hello there, my name is Jerhul."

"Nice to meet you."

"So, we are heading to the dance floor, yes?"

"Yeah, let's go." The girls said and left the room.

"Are you sure about this? We could have gone with Plan B now."

"The Mother Node has intercepted data on our friend coming to the rescue. The Es Dartan Security Force is on his tail and will slow him down for a time. Why not let the ladies enjoy their last night of free will?"

"The Mother Node? But Trickster isn't one of us…"

"Our superior must have placed a tracker on him. She is now receiving data based on his location."

"Yes…once he is harvested, then we need not fear the Human Federation."

"For far too long, these humans have been a thorn in our side and tonight, that may all change."

Sam stumbled back into the room, "Are you guys coming or what?"

"Sure, we'll be right there."

* * *

Trickster managed to evade the patrol that was following him. The mall started to come into the night sky. He smiled for he was close to his goal, which was wiped clean when he saw one of the Security ships arise from below.

"Crap!" he brought his arms to protect his face.

Crashing against one of the headlights, he spun out of control and fell a few dozen feet before meeting the ground. Skidding off the ground at first, it soon turned into rolling. When the world stopped spinning, he planted both hands and lifted himself off the ground.

"Computer, you there?"

"Yes, sir."

"Bodily damage report, please."

"Scanning…"

Trickster hobbled in the direction of the mall as he felt a great weight on his chest and it pained him every time he breathed.

"Analysis complete. You have three broken ribs, several muscles torn in your left thigh, moderate concussion, and your left arm is fractured in several places."

"Understandable as it was the side the vehicle hit. Begin Nanobotic Regeneration sequence."

"Understood, initializing…heal time remaining is ten minutes and forty-seven seconds."

"Good." He said and deactivated his TrickSuit.

He watched as the Security Forces flew past him for without the suit, they couldn't recognize him. He hurried his pace, but only enough to withhold the pain. Hopefully, the Security Forces will move on.

"Girls, don't worry…I am coming."

* * *

The nice techno music filled the dance club as the girls enjoyed themselves with the Gergrians. They spent a few minutes dancing before they sat around one of the booth tables.

"That was fun. See, Aelita, I told you so."

She smiled, "You're right."

"So, what are we going to do next?"

"We are waiting for Jerhul to come back with the drinks. Once then…we have some more fun."

"Great, I think I see him coming back."

Jerhul held a tray in his hands with six drinks. He placed it on the table in front of them and they grabbed their drinks. The guys raised their drinks to their lips and waited for the girls. They raised their own drinks to their lips as well, but stopped when Sam spoke.

"Hey guys, why aren't you drinking?"

They stuttered for a few seconds until Norzas said, "It is Gergrian Tradition, the invited guests get the first drink and then we will drink shortly after."

The girls looked at one another and wondered about it, but they let Yumi be the first to drink and after she was finished, she seemed all right and so they had the drink. Then the boys drank their glasses in one gulp.

"So…Yumi, what brings you here to the mall?"

"You know…shopping, hanging out, and such."

"What about friends and family?"

"Well…let's just say that, we are far from home and are…trying to make the best of it."

"I see. But surely, three girls can't just cruise the universe alone? What about guardians?"

"Whoa, what is with the third degree? I thought we were here to enjoy a little dancing and hanging out, so what is this?"

"Sorry, we get curious about people. It is a flaw of ours."

Yumi yawned, "Well…just tone it down a bit. We…are…not used to…"

Yumi's head banged against the tabletop, which sent chills down their spines and smiles on the guys' faces.

"You planned this from the beginning, haven't you?"

Norzas nodded, "Yes, we did."

"Why?"

"Because we are Vok'tul."

"What?"

They looked at each other, "You are kidding me? You have no clue who we are."

"Enough talking." Sam said and clicked her boots together. Her hoverboard compiled under the table and dislodged it from its support. It crushed into the guys and Sam got ahold of Yumi.

"Aelita, get on."

She shrugged herself, the drug in the drink was affecting them as well. The dance club stopped and watched them make their escape. Sam held onto to Yumi and tried to get her over her shoulder. Aelita held onto Sam's waist as they hovered forward on the hoverboard. The others parted out of the way and they flew out into the mall. Many people noticed their approach and made room for them. After a few seconds, Sam's vision focused in and out as she realized the drug was taking hold and knew she didn't have much time left.

The boys exited the dance club and saw them not too far.

"We have no choice, we might as well show our true colors."

Their bodies rearranged as they stood in their robotic selves. The people began to scream and run away at the sight of these Vok'tul. In their true forms, they ran on all four limbs and were gaining on the girls' position especially now that they started to weave in and out because of Sam's affected state.

The Vok'tul knew this chase was soon to end and hurried even faster. She couldn't hang onto Yumi and Aelita's weight tipped them out of balance. She crashed down and her hoverboard decompiled. They rolled over on the ground several times and they fell unconscious.

"We've done it, brothers. More bodies at our disposal."

"I don't think so!" Trickster shouted and shot up in his TrickSuit. He hovered just in front of the railing.

"Trickster! Why didn't the Mother Node tell us you were coming?"

"I noticed the tracker soon after turning off my TrickSuit and destroyed it."

"You will serve the Mother Node!"

"Once she is destroyed forever, then will I serve her!"

"Ah!" One of them jumped up and tried to attack him. Trickster moved out of the way and watched as the Vok'tul fell down the mall and toward the ground countless miles below.

Trickster willed his suit and a weapon appeared over his right hand it was a cylindrical shape with three robotic claws stretching up from just behind it. He aimed it at one of the Vok'tul and an electric charge drifted from the claws up to the end of the cylinder and fired in one burst. When it hit the one of them, his upper half exploded into a black sludge and the rest of the body soon followed, but it dripped to the floor.

"You! You have a Nano-disassembler?"

"I have more than that! I also have this…" His left hand turned into a drill and spun safely over the hand. Trickster flew down and stabbed the last Vok'tul through.

"An infinity drill!?"

"Yep, no coming back from that."

"Damn you…Trick…ster…!"

The last of the Vok'tul died and Trickster knelt over the girls. He knew they were unconscious and only one place could take care of them. He held them in his hands awkwardly and flew off toward his ship.

* * *

"Glad to see you all awake."

Aelita opened her eyes and they were in the Medical Bay of the New Light.

"Trickster…you…"

"Yes, you are safe now. We are currently on a course to Arlunola and we will be there soon."

"So, we are safe."

"Yes, you are."

The computer interrupted, "…Sir, those test results have finished. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, please. Put the results on this data pad." He said and picked it up.

"Immediately, sir."

Watching the results, everything seemed normal at first, but then Trickster's brow began to tighten and the look in his eyes was one of worry.

"It can't be…"

"What?"

"Hang on, girls. I will be right back." He said and then left the Medical Bay.

They all stare blankly at the door before they turned to one another.

"Is it just me or we never seem to get a straight answer from that guy?"

* * *

**Next Chapter, Trickster explains the test's findings.**


	14. Dark Future

**Author's Note:** I do nor own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen – Dark Future

Trickster bit the top of his curled fist lightly as his mind looked over the test results again. The figures were adding up and the probability of those figures were staggering low and yet it seemed that they had happened.

"Sir, the girls are currently wondering where you are. Should I inform them?"

"No, Computer. I need to be alone for a little bit."

"Understood, Sir. What course of action would you like me to take?"

"Tell the girls I will meet them with the results in the kitchen and replicate anything they so desire as long as it's food."

"Understood, Sir. Might I inquire where you will be?"

"I am going to access the ship's memory log manually. Be ready for any questions I might have."

"Unders…"

"If you say 'Understood, Sir' one more time, I will rip out your processor."

"Good luck then…Sir."

"Thank you, I'll be needing it. One last thing before you give out the instructions, give me a level two medical scan across the entire medical bay and send the results to the data pad."

"Reason?"

"To confirm the data you have shown me. If it is present in Aelita, then it is possible that the other two girls may have it as well."

"Okay, sir. It shall be done."

"I know, you haven't let me down, Computer, not once."

* * *

"Aelita, relax. I am sure there is nothing wrong with you."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have strange auras emitting from your bodies."

"We know that. But so far, nothing has gone bad, you haven't felt sick or cramps, I mean…it can't be too bad."

"I appreciate you comforting me, but could we talk about something else for a little while. All this talk is making me more than a little edgy."

Just then, a green sweeping light drifted down the medical bay, which caught the girls by surprise.

"What is that?"

"Be patient, girls. This is just a room-wide medical scan."

"Why we were tested already?"

"It is simply a precaution. It is to make sure you didn't catch anything during your stay on Es Darta."

"Okay, but warn us next time. There was this scene in a movie where some laser girds sliced some people into ribbons and I don't want to go through that."

"Sam…which movie, the one with the zombies or…"

"Zombies, it was the movie Odd took me on our first date."

"Such a guy, he knows nothing of romance."

"Actually…I suggested the movie."

"What?" Yumi and Aelita shouted in unison.

She smiled, "It was so funny the way he clinged to my arm during the terrifying scene. The complete reversal of the cliché."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I tried to get Ulrich to watch a Japanese film, but I thought twice when I imagined him falling asleep between action scenes. That man and his katanas."

Aelita's head perked up, "That's right. I forgot to show you something."

The Computer spoke, "Sorry to break up the conversation, but if you could adjoin in the kitchen and wait there for Trickster's return."

Yumi and Sam stood up as Aelita began searching her person for the items she was looking for .

"Aelita, you can show us after lunch."

She reached out toward them, but they were already walking away. She sighed and kept quiet as she followed a few steps behind them to the kitchen.

* * *

Elsewhere on the ship, a door slid open and Trickster stepped through into a room filled with server banks. One of them had a display screen with several buttons underneath.

"Computer, are the results on the other girls ready?"

"They have already been downloaded onto the data pad."

He pressed a few buttons on the data pad, so all three results synchronized on the same screen. He took a moment to glance at the results before his suspicions were confirmed.

"I knew it. They all have the aural signature."

"Sir, why are you accessing the logs manually? It would be easy to do it on the bridge."

"If the logs are accessed remotely, they will be displayed on the all the screens due to that damaged management system from five months back."

"Why haven't you fixed it yet?"

"Because we don't know where the damage is. The only terminal that has any privacy is the medical bay, but I don't want any chance that the girls could find out about this. I want to explain this to them that they aren't in any danger."

He paused for one moment, "Computer, match the medical results from the following dates: August 31, 80301; November 14, 80301; May 4, 80302; and lastly, February 15, 80303."

"Processing…this will take a few moments."

"Fine."

He sat there for a few moments, thinking about one of the old adventures he had. Robbing Human Federation depots to give food and medicine to needed independent worlds, settling personal scores, doing legitimate jobs, exploring the unknown, and fighting for the good of all.

"Completed. The data results are a hundred percent identical to the ones on the dates you specified."

He gently banged his forehead on a nearby wall.

"I really hoped that it didn't have to come to this."

* * *

The girls laughed as they enjoyed their lunches. They were talking about all the good times that had gone by. So caught up in the good mood, Aelita forgot about the three futuristic bracelets dangling in her pocket.

When Trickster came in, the mood of the room changed completely when he said they needed to listen to what he was about to tell them.

"The aura found on Aelita has been detected on all three of you. It is not common, in fact it is supposed to be impossible to get one."

"So, how long do we have to live?"

The question made Trickster laughed, which did nothing to alleviate the girls' worry, after he caught his breath, "Don't worry, it is not fatal. I should know I have had that aura on me almost…ten times. It will go away in a week or two."

"But what is this aura?"

"It is residual energy from when a person leaves the Dark Future Orb, it is an immensely powerful magical object. Normally, it is impossible for a person to leave unless certain things happen, which is about a one-in-a-trillion chance."

"So, what does this have to do with us?"

"It is a little bit of a long story. In one of the rooms is a heavily-secured area, which contains all the magical items under my possession. The Orb is one such item, your ship must have came out into the world before I claimed it. Which would explain the shape your ship was in when I found it in the Derelict Field."

"So…what does the item do?"

"The Dark Future Orb contains within itself all the worst possible futures for every creature in existence. You must have been in one of the Dark Futures it contains."

"So, we are…non-existent?"

"No, not exactly. You are still Aelita, Sam, and Yumi. It is just you came from an alternate future where the worst outcome has come to pass."

"What about you? You said you left the Dark Future Orb. Is there another Trickster?"

"No, a creature can willingly enter the Orb and 'walk down' one of his or her own Dark Futures. I am the only person who has ever returned from conquering it, more than once."

"So, there is no hope?"

"No! Never say that! It is true that in this current timeline, you, Sam, and Yumi lived normal lives and died during the twenty-first century. However, you three are here now and you are still you, I mean…nobody can tell you how to act, right?"

The girls looked away from Trickster, he dipped his head and rubbed his brow as he sighed.

Then he looked back up at them, "Look, it doesn't matter you escaped from a Dark Future. You are still who you are, who you were meant to be. Regardless of the time stream, I see Aelita Hopper, Samantha Knight, and Yumi Ishiyama standing before me. We are going to Arlunola to get you some help and you can live your lives the way you three see fit."

He allowed for some time, so his words could sink in. At first, they seemed to be no difference until Aelita shed a tear and cracked a smile. Soon, the other girls joined her and it seemed that they were going to be all right.

"I know it won't be easy, but try to make the best of what you three have…each other."

Aelita's eyes widened, "Wait, thank you, Trickster. You just reminded me." She pulled out the three bracelets and gave one to Yumi and Sam.

"What are these, Aelita?"

"They are Forget-Me-Not Digital Recorders or 'Records' for short. They work like this, you place a small piece of DNA from the person you want to be with and they are recreated as a 3D fully interactive holographic image. You wear it on your wrist and it is equipped with a derilithium battery, so it never runs out."

Yumi stopped her, "Wait…are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"Yes, we can be with the boys again."

The girls squealed excitedly until a thought came across Yumi.

"Wait, we don't have anything from the guys to use as a sample."

They depressed for a second.

Trickster smiled as he thought of an idea, "We can extract the necessary samples with a quick trip through the body scanner. DNA sticks deep onto the skin usually through tears, saliva, blood, and lesser samples such as skin follicles and hair."

"You think it will work?"

"Not a hundred percent, but it's above fifty."

"Okay, it's not like it will do us any harm."

With a few dozen steps, they were back in the Medical Bay. The girls laid down on the examination table one at a time, while Trickster spoke these words, "Computer, commence with DNA extraction across the outer body, accept only samples that are not of the subject."

After an hour, all the samples were taken and three were selected.

"It would seem that these are their DNA. The Computer has run the figures and a 3D model has been inputted into the Medical Bay terminal. Now the samples will be placed inside a small protective dome for transport." He said while typing on the keyboard.

Three small plastic bubbles popped up from one of the slots on the console next to the terminal. He handed the appropriate samples to their respective girlfriends.

"Now what, Aelita?"

"Now that you are wearing the bracelet, tap it twice and it will automatically resize to your wrist."

They did as she instructed and the bracelets shrunk down to make for a perfect fit, they were a little larger than a normal bracelet on mainly for the projection jewel and the command buttons. After they gasped with amazement, she continued, "The small projector will scan the DNA sample, you just hold it close to it for it to extract the sample."

They placed the plastic bubbles by the projection jewel and a small blue light emitted from each of them. It blinked repeatedly to show that it was processing the information.

"Now, watch."

The flashing stopped and for a few seconds, nothing happened until a small projection of their boyfriends appeared, hovering just above the jewel.

"There are four buttons in a row and from left-to-right, they order like this: Power button, Advisory Mode where they stay like this on your wrist, Interactive mode where they can be projected to interact with us and our surroundings, and the Tangibility switch, which switches their projection mode between soft-light and hard-light. Press the third button."

They held their wrists up, so they could see the buttons more clearly and they pressed it. The jewel's radiance shined dimly outward in front of them and there they stood: Ulrich, Jeremy, and Odd at their normal heights.

Ulrich shook his head, "What happened? Last thing I remember was…was…stroking Yumi's cheek with my hand."

Jeremy agreed, "Yeah, I remember walking Aelita to her escape pod."

"Me too, I was stroking Sam's hand and then, nothing."

The girls shed tears of joy as they rushed over and tackled their boyfriends to the ground. Though they are comprised of highly densely-packed photons, they didn't shimmer or sparkle when they met the ground, it was as when they were flesh and blood.

Trickster smiled. Though the girls have been through tough times since arriving here in the far future and even though, they themselves are from an alternate timeline. Right now all the science didn't matter as they gained back some semblance of peace for those they care for the most have returned back into their lives.

* * *

**Next Chapter, The girls and boys get reacquainted as it is now the boys' turn to get used to the future.**


	15. Adjustments

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – Adjustments

The seven people were gathered around the kitchen table. The girls were still smiling as they enjoyed their delicious dinner. The day had mostly been catching up on old times and deciding on what they were going to do. Trickster had a small smile on his face, but didn't get involved in the conversation.

"Trickster…" Until Aelita asked, "what were those things who chased us down the mall? We never heard or seen anything like them before."

He wiped his mouth and placed his napkin on the right side of his plate. He cleared his throat for a brief second before answering.

"They are known as the Vok'tul, a nasty collective of nano-organisms."

Jeremy spoke, "Don't you mean nanobots?"

"Well, they still exist, but technological progressions throughout the millennia have evolved and made nano-organisms. The line that once divided organic and machine has almost been removed. The Vok'tul are a massive collective of nano-organisms, all under the command of the Mother Node, their hive mind. She can be quite a…" Looking at the age of his audience, he coughed, "…anyway, there is nothing to fear from them."

"So, how many days before we reach Arlunola?"

"It should be three days' travel."

Yumi looked at him, "I thought you said we would be arriving shortly?"

"Three days' travel is short in comparison to the old days of spacefaring. If we were riding a Rickster 2200, it would take us two weeks…if we survived take-off."

Jeremy asked, "What about light speed? Slip stream? Warp drive? Why don't you have any of that?"

"In the following order: Light speed needs a focusing gate to get to the correct destination, we had a slip stream drive, but during its maiden voyage, we ended up in another dimension for thirteen days, warp drive has been banned from every governmental body because of intense stress on hull integrity. Then there is space folding, which was another fun adventure…trying to close an artificial black hole isn't like a walk in the park."

"Wow, that was an interesting explanation. We should definitely talk more."

Aelita gave a small noogie to her boyfriend, "That's my man, always thinking."

"Hey, that hurt!"

She giggled, "Sorry."

Odd picked up a fork and took a mouthful of food. He looked at it and sighed.

"This is so unfair."

Sam turned to him and raised his chin, "What's wrong, Odd?"

"I can't eat any food and I'm hungry."

All but Trickster laughed. Ulrich smiled, "How can you be hungry? We are made of solid light, you shouldn't even have a stomach."

"I understand that much, but nevertheless my stomach is growling and hoping for some food anytime now."

Sam smiled and slowly scooped his chin under her fingers, turning his head toward her, giving him a kiss. He remembered this for it was the last memory he had available to him, it was the same passion he had given her before the ship launch.

She pulled away, "How do you feel now?

He paused for a moment before blushing with a smile, "Great…"

She held his hands and it felt the same as if he never left. They both got up from the table and ran out of the kitchen, laughing as they ran. The girls and boys shared a smile as Yumi grabbed Ulrich's hand.

"Come on, Ulrich, I want to show you more of the ship."

"Sure thing, Yumi."

They left the kitchen, leaving the three alone. Jeremy felt Aelita's hand and stroked it softly. She liked this renewed feeling, something that had been missing since awakening in the future.

"Aelita, this is very nice being here with you. But do you know what happened? Or where we are for instance?"

"Yeah, why are your memories incomplete? Don't you remember that you…" She stopped before saying the next word.

"I was captured…and killed, wasn't I?"

A tear fell from her eyes, "Yes, you did."

"I see…was it quick?"

"You want to know how you died?"

He brought their hands up in between them and looked straight into her eyes, "Tell me, Aelita, I have to know."

"You were…executed by XANA. It was quick, I know that much."

There was silence for about a minute before he replied.

"Thank you, Aelita. I needed to hear that."

"I didn't think I'd have to tell you, I thought you knew."

Trickster said, "I think I know why. The DNA sample I extracted from you contained all the memory up to the point of contact, which a portion of the code is responsible for. To you, Jeremy, you put her inside her stasis pod and then, you were here. Am I right?"

He nodded, "Yes, that's how I remember it."

He started to cry, "Sorry, Aelita. This is all a little much."

She grabbed his hand, "Trickster, may we be excused?"

"You may."

They walked out of the kitchen. Trickster continued his dinner as he saw the plates before him. He sighed and ate alone.

"Sir, do you want me to place their meals into cryo-stasis refrigeration for the time being?"

"Go ahead, computer. I am sure they have a lot to talk about."

* * *

Sam and Odd ran through to the back of the ship, she reached her hand and tagged the door.

"There, I win!" She said and stuck out her tongue.

"No fair, you knew where you were going. I was just following close behind."

"Yeah, whatever. But you are going to like this." She pushed a small button in the door frame and it slid open.

The room inside was empty, but black square tiles covered the room. Odd stepped inside to get a closer look.

"Looks a little…big, you think?"

"This, my lovable Odd, is known as a 3D Holo-studio or 3D HS for short. Think of like the holo-deck from Star Trek."

"Wait…you watch Star Trek?"

"Yeah, but only when there is nothing good on."

"Okay, gotcha. So this can project anything we want?"

"Any setting, any scenario, anything. If you want to relax for a while or kill some zombies, this can project it."

"I thought this place didn't have a Holo-arcade?"

"No, the holo-arcade allowed for complete mental submersion. This holo-studio allows us to stay in one spot while the room moves around us. Unlike a holo-arcade, this has many more uses."

"Like what?"

"Computer, are you busy?"

"Not at the moment, miss."

"Could you run Dragons' Maw Party?"

"Yes, I can. Loading…"

She stepped into the room and stood next to Odd.

"Loading complete."

The room filled with a dance club. Lights of many colors flashed around the room as other teens danced to the techno music playing from the band on stage. They saw the upper floor as railing encircling the edges.

"Wanna dance first or talk?"

"Hmmm…dance."

"All right."

They both danced close to each other as they felt the new energy coursing through the room.

* * *

Ulrich and Yumi were outside of the door as Yumi pressed her ear to hear the techno music playing within.

"Shoot, it seems Odd and Sam got here first."

"That's okay, Yumi."

"Well, there are other places on this ship. Come on…" She grabbed his hand and led the way, "…there is something really cool over here!"

They ran until they reached a stairway, Yumi and Ulrich ran up the stairs. At the top, there was a small domed chamber with a table surrounded by circular couch. The force field windows showed the grandeur of space and the light shone down from the ceiling.

"Wow, you're right. This is really cool." He said and ran up to the front of the chamber on put his knees on the couch to get a closer look through the windows.

"Really? I was kind of bluffing earlier, I didn't think you'd be taken in by this?"

"Remember that time when I was failing science?"

"Which one? 7th grade, 8th grade, or 9th Grade?"

"9th Grade, two months before XANA won. I had to do an extra credit project about the wonders of outer space. After three hours in the library, Jeremy took me outside to the park late at night and taught me everything we saw in his telescope."

"So then, you got interested in this stuff?"

"Yeah, I had a dream of being an astronaut and now, here I am!"

She walked over and got on her knees right next to him, "Well, mister Space Genius. Tell me what is that over there?" She pointed to a gaseous cloud.

"That's a nebula currently mid-way through the process."

"What process?"

"Well…you see, when a planet goes supernova, there are two most likely outcomes. The first is collapsing and becoming a black hole or the second is becoming a nebula. After countless centuries, it will reform into a new planet or star."

"Good job, I fell asleep there for a moment."

He nudged her with his shoulder, making her laugh. After a few seconds, she smiled and brushed a strain of her hair

"It's nice to have you back, Ulrich."

"It's nice to be back, Yumi."

They blushed and looked away from each other.

"Ulrich…I…"

"Yumi…I…" They said at the same time.

They both laugh.

"You first, Yumi."

This was one of the reasons she liked Ulrich, he always made her feel special because he always let her had a choice, unlike her family.

"Ulrich, I know that we…haven't always been on the same page and that we let petty teenage impulses get the better of us. I just want you to know that…I agreed with what you said back at the silo."

"What I said quite a bit."

She picked up his hand and gently rubbed the back of it on her cheek, "I could barely feel it, but you did it like this, right?"

"You heard me say that, but I thought you were asleep?"

"Yes, but I heard it before passing out. I just wanted you to know that I…love you, too."

She leaned in and put her lips out, hoping for a kiss. Ulrich sighed and stood up, leaving her hanging in mid-air. She opened her eyes and saw him standing in the center of the room.

"But I am not me, aren't I?"

"What do you mean, you are Ulrich."

"No, Ulrich is a boy who lived in the 21st century and died at XANA's hands. I am just a simulation of him, I am not the real thing."

Yumi stood up, "What is with you, Ulrich? Here I am bearing my soul to you and you push me away? I don't care that you are a simulation. To me, you are Ulrich Stern and you are in every way, the boy I love!"

"Yumi, I…"

"Ulrich, I know that this is hard for you. It was for me too, it took me days before I could get used to this and I am still getting used to being from an alternate timeline, I wasn't expecting us to get serious, being boyfriend-girlfriend right away, but I just wanted a nice moment together, that's all."

"Wait, an alternate timeline? What are you talking about?"

She sighed and told him about the Dark Future from which they came from.

"My god, that means…"

"In real life, we defeated XANA and shared a long, happy life together."

"That's everything? You mean all the suffering we endured has been for nothing?"

"No, Ulrich. Don't you see/ I am from an alternate timeline and you are composed of light, but I choose you over everyone else because I love you."

"Yumi…" He stood there amazed.

She started to cry, "Why can't you see that?"

She turned away from him as she cried into her sleeve.

"Yumi, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you. I know it might be too late to say this, but I love you, so much that it hurts inside."

"Ulrich…you mean it?"

He nodded, "I really do, Yumi."

"Ulrich!" She said and ran into his arms.

"I thought you…"

"Don't say anything, Yumi. It's okay."

She smiled and hugged him real tight.

"Your kimono is beautiful by the way."

She giggled, "Thanks."

* * *

Jeremy and Aelita were walking around the ship. They really didn't have a destination, they were just enjoying each other's company.

"That suit looks nice on you, Aelita. It really accentuates your features."

"Which features?"

He blushed, "Umm…your intelligence?"

She giggled, "I understand, Jeremy. It's okay."

"It is? I thought you'd be upset."

"Not at all, I mean…I think about you that way at certain times. But I like you for who you are, the figure is a bonus."

"Aelita…"

"It is only natural for us to feel this way."

"Sorry, I feel a little awkward about this whole thing. Can we change the subject?"

"Okay, but I do like this suit, it fits me well and is beautiful."

"Now we really need to change the subject, like now!"

"Why, Jeremy, are you sweating?"

"How can I am made of light?"

"But we are sweating nonetheless, are you afraid of being alone with me?"

"No, that's ridiculous, Aelita. I'm not afraid of intimacy."

"I didn't say intimacy."

He gulped, "Ummm…ahhh…uhhh…"

She giggled, "You've got to relax, Jeremy. Look at it like this, we don't have to worry about XANA anymore and we can just be ourselves."

"Yeah, no parents, no rules…just…all of us…together."

"That's the spirit, Jeremy, you got to be a little more aggressive, the world won't wait for us and have to live every moment like…"

Jeremy spun her around and kissed her, catching her by surprise, "…our last?"

She blushed with a smile, "Yeah…"

"How long has it been since we made out?"

"Seven months, three weeks, five days, thirteen hours, forty-one minutes. It was when you made another program, in a good mood and luckily, I was nearby. You were sitting in the lab chair with me on top sitting down on your lap. This count is not including the time spent in cryo-stasis, of course."

"Wow, you kept track?"

"Not easy when you have a workaholic boyfriend."

He smiled, "You're right about that, but I promise to spend all of my time devoted to our relationship."

"That's sweet, Jeremy, but maybe not all the time."

"Sorry if that sounded too literal, but you know what I am trying to say."

Aelita grabbed his hand and led him to the stasis chamber, temporarily made into their living quarters. They started as they entered the room, they nearly fell when the door slid open, but they didn't break stride as they found their way closer and closer to where they wanted to be. She peered over her shoulder and nearly bumped into her bed.

Pulling away for a moment to catch their breath, they stared lovingly into the other's eyes. She grabbed the front of his shirt firmly and pulled him forward as she fell on top of the bed. Minutes flew as they enjoyed this good feeling between them.

She pulled away, "Give me one moment." She pressed the gray button on her neck collar, "Password: Jeremy loves me."

Her suit tightened a little more as it went into Pajama Mode. This widened Jeremy's smile as they resumed their passion once more.

* * *

Yumi was still smiling from their heart-to-heart moment. She was relaxing on the couch as she saw Ulrich still looking out at the stars from across the room.

She looked down at the Digital Recorder around her wrist and marveled at what it had restored in their lives.

She thought, "Who knew a tiny crystal could do such a wondrous thing?"

She stroked the crystal and it flickered for a moment before a virtual menu appeared, "What is this?"

The menu had Ulrich's full name and a list of options below it.

"These must be the other settings for the projection. But Aelita would've…unless…she didn't know."

She used her finger as a cursor, going up and down, looking through the various outfits she could put Ulrich in until she saw one she couldn't resist. She tapped it and it blinked in recognition as the menu faded and so did all the clothes off Ulrich's body.

"Wow, Ulrich…nice butt."

"Thank you, Yumi. I try to work out some..." He looked down at himself, "…what? Yumi!"

He covered himself as he turned to face her, "Give me my clothes back now!"

"This is so awesome. Not only can we turn off our boyfriends, but we can do whatever we want to as well."

"Yumi!"

She giggled as she enjoyed how red his face was becoming. She would give him his clothes back soon enough, but only after the hilarity has passed.

* * *

**Next Chapter, Day Two of their vacation.**


	16. Relaxation

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

Sorry about the long update, had a lot of real life stuff and WoW stuff to take care of. For your patience, here is a long chapter sixteen.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen – Relaxation

Aelita awoke with a yawn and looked to see Jeremy lying on top of her. She smiled as all the enjoyment they indulged came back to her. She felt the weight of him on top of her, another amazement of modern technology. She brought her arms around him and get to the controls on the recorder.

Switching to Advisory Mode, Jeremy disappeared from on top of her. She breathed calmly as she got up from the bed, ready to face the new day. The first thing she noticed was the other two beds were empty.

"Yumi and Sam must be at breakfast already. Jeremy?"

She raised the arm to be level as she looked into the recorder. Jeremy was curled in a ball just above the projection crystal, fast asleep.

"I'll let him sleep for a little while longer."

As she left the room, the door slid open. Yumi and Sam were standing with their arms crossed, looking a little annoyed.

"What's going on?" Aelita asked.

"Aelita, we are just a tad concerned."

"Why, Yumi? I haven't done anything wrong."

"Really? Jeremy sleeping on top of you doesn't count as anything wrong."

"Okay, so we made out…a lot. It wasn't like it was a crime."

"Is that all he did?"

"Wait, you're blaming Jeremy?"

Sam said, "Well…he is a guy, after all."

Aelita smiled, "Look, here is what happened. We kissed, we decided to make out, and he touched my…chest, but that was as far as we got. I mean it is not like he can disrobe or anything."

Yumi blushed a little as Sam said, "You're right, I mean…their clothes are no longer clothes, but part of their being."

"So…are we okay now?" Aelita asked.

Yumi and Sam looked at each other for a moment and nodded, "Yeah, we are."

Aelita sighed in relief, "Good, shall we go to breakfast?"

They nodded and walked toward the kitchen. Yumi and Sam began to blush deeper as they whispered to each other.

Aelita heard them saying back-and forward, "Go on, ask her." and "No, it's private."

"What's private?"

They both froze for a second and smiled at Aelita.

"Well…"

Sam coughed, "We were just…um, wondering what, ah…it feels like when your 'chest' is being touched."

She smiled as she remembered what it felt like, "Well…if you must know, it feels like a tingle at first, then as it continues, it surges up your spine and it feels really good."

"Wow, I never thought about it like that."

"Yeah, I mean…I never thought about it at all."

"Trust me, it is a pleasant experience from start to finish. With that said, could we drop it?"

Yumi smirked, "Why, I thought you liked it?"

"I know, but the more we talk about it, the more I want to do that again and I would like to do more than just that with Jeremy today."

"Like what?"

"You know, hang out and talk like we used to do."

"Yeah and without school or you guys going off to fight XANA."

Yumi and Aelita looked at her, "How did you?"

"Odd, tell me yesterday when we were in the Holo-studio. He figured since it was no longer that much of a secret, that he would tell me."

"Speaking of whom, why isn't Odd and Ulrich here?"

"We turned them off for the moment. We were going to switch them back on after breakfast."

"How could you switch them off? I would never do that to Jeremy. Okay, it can be a little more convenient to do so, but it is disrespectful to them."

Sam raised her hands, "Fine, fine, we won't do it again. Sheesh, who knew you would be so touchy about that sort of thing."

Aelita's eyes began to water, "Sorry…" tears fell down her cheeks, "…I've got to go!"

She ran toward the kitchen as she wiped her tears away. Sam stood there in shock as Yumi sighed and massaged her brow.

"What did I say?"

"Sam…remember that Aelita missed ten years because of the supercomputer. Trust me, she is the only person who knows what it is like to be switched off. Come on, let's follow her."

They ran after their grieving friend and found her already at the kitchen table, being comforted by Trickster.

"Aelita, calm down. Everything is all right."

"I know, but what she said brought back the worst thing that happened to me in my life."

Yumi said, "Sorry, Sam didn't mean to hurt you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Aelita."

She sniffed and started to take deep breathes, "Okay…I am feeling better now."

"Good, enjoy breakfast and remember we are still two days from Arlunola."

"Thank you for reminding us."

They enjoyed their breakfast and soon after, they excused themselves and the three girls stood in the hallway.

"Okay, Sam, you and Odd had the 3D HS all day yesterday, so you are out of the running. Aelita, we are going to decide this with the only fair way…rock, paper, scissors."

"Fine." She raised her hand.

They shouted in unison, "One, two, three, shoot!" Yumi chose scissors and Aelita chose paper. Yumi gave a little smile in triumph.

"Remember the fairness rule. Best two out of three."

"One, two, three, shoot!" Yumi chose scissors again, but Aelita chose rock.

Now the deciding round, "One, two, three, shoot!" Aelita chose rock, but was countered by Yumi's paper.

"Yes!"

Aelita crossed her arms, "Okay, but that means Jeremy and I get it tomorrow."

"Without a doubt, now if you will excuse me." Yumi walked away triumphantly.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Trickster has a room somewhere called the ship's lounge, we are going to hang there for a while."

"Jeremy and I are probably going to go to the Observation Deck and look at the stars."

"Sounds good. So, we will see you later."

"Yeah."

* * *

Yumi laid her head on Ulrich's shoulder as a cool autumn breeze drifted past and danced in her hair. Ulrich brought his arm around as he looked down at the peaceful smile on his girlfriend's face. He was sitting with his back against a sakura blossom tree and was donned in samurai armor.

"This is so beautiful, Ulrich."

"Amazing what this place can do."

"Feel the warmth of the sunset, the wind in your hair, and the sakura blossoms dancing around. This place is like when I was a little girl."

"You were born in Japan? I thought you were born after your family moved?"

"No, we moved when I was four."

"Really, now I know one more thing about you than I did yesterday."

She smiled, "You could write a book about the stuff you don't know about me."

"Okay, let's start with chapter one."

She laughed, "Not so fast, you have plenty of time to find that out on your own. It's not like we are going anywhere, right?"

He looked into her eyes and her small smile, he sighed, "You're right."

She stood up and held her hand toward him, "Now that we relaxed, want to do something fun?"

"Wait, you are suggesting having fun, who are you and what have you done with the real Yumi?"

She playfully jabbed him in the shoulder, "Ow, okay, it's really you. So, what did you have in mind?"

"Computer, are you there?"

"Yes, madam, I am always here."

"Could you give me two steel fans and could you also put a thousand Oda samurai on that ridge there please?" She pointed to the distance.

"Most certainly."

The once quiet atmosphere was shattered as a thousand samurai ran toward them with katanas unsheathed and battle cries. Ulrich unsheathed his katana as Yumi readied herself.

"Wow, Love then violence? I'm beginning to like the future already."

She chuckled, "That's my Ulrich."

In a minute or two, the battle was joined.

* * *

Elsewhere on the ship, Aelita sprung up from the floor.

"Did you hear that?"

"What, Aelita?"

"It was like a faint roar."

"I didn't hear anything."

"Oh well, must have been my imagination. So what were you talking about?" She lowered herself and laid flat on the floor once again. Both her and Jeremy laid down in such a way that the crowns of their heads touched and they looked up at the ceiling.

"I was just wondering what the future has been like for you all?"

"Well, so far we've experienced very little. We were vaccinated, shown around, got to go shopping, attacked by strange alien robots, then rescued and here we are."

"Wait, attacked?"

"Yeah, it was frightening at the time, but it did happen to us."

"Aelita, don't you think this Trickster guy is being honest?"

"Why wouldn't he be? He surely would have killed us if he wanted us dead nor would he have rescued us nor would he have allowed you guys to come back to be with us. No, I believe he is all right."

"I believe you, but I still can't shake this feeling that he isn't telling us the whole story."

She smiled, "Well, I know of one way to get your mind off it."

She sat up and crawled on top of him.

He blushed a new shade of red, "Aelita!"

"You're sweating again. I thought you liked making out."

He started crawling backward on his forearms, "I do, but this is a little fast, don't you think?"

She kept in pursuit, "You were the one telling me to live it up."

"Yes, but…but…" His head bumped into the circular couch, cutting off his escape and Aelita knew it and pounced on top of him.

"Nowhere to escape now, come on and enjoy yourself."

It seemed nothing was going to change Aelita's mind about this, so he puckered up and kissed Aelita. It felt the same as the night before and so they went with the flow.

* * *

Yumi and Ulrich were fighting as passionately as they would on Lyoko. With each samurai they vanquished, they would de-pixelate and vanish from the studio.

"We are almost done, Ulrich. So, what do you want to do after this?"

He swung his katana down through his opponent, "Well, I don't know. Maybe see what the others are up to?"

"Okay, if that is what you want."

"Computer, how many samurai are left?"

"Six, sir."

Yumi brought her fans around and threw them in a beautiful horizontal arc, catching two of the samurai unawares and brought them down.

"Four."

Ulrich was engaged by two as well. One came at him with his blade held high, Ulrich sidestepped the blow easily and brought his fist across his opponent's face. The second one came in the same approach, Ulrich couldn't dodge this time and so blocked with his blade. He deflected the blade away and brought it across, severing his opponent's head.

The first opponent recovered from the punch and was charging once more. Ulrich charged in and blocked the downswing by moving in close, then stabbed him clean through.

A third samurai charged in from behind, but Ulrich turned his blade around, hopped back, and stabbed behind him.

Yumi stood there as she saw the brilliant swordplay that her boyfriend just shown. Ulrich turned to her.

"Yumi, look out!"

She turned to see the final samurai charging down on her. She pulled her fans and took a step back, but she slipped as her heel hit the back of a tree root. Ulrich rushed toward her as fast as he could. Yumi saw the enemy running closer, but she couldn't do anything as she continued to fall.

This was going to be close as both were near their goal. The enemy samurai raised his sword, ready to impale her. She saw the blade glean in the sunlight and he shouted "Now, die!" in japanese. Then he was impaled by a thrown katana, Ulrich slid through the ground and gripped Yumi in protection.

"Thanks, Ulrich. You are the greatest."

He was out of breath, "You're welcome, Yumi."

She then felt something she never felt before, a small tingle. She looked down to see that Ulrich's hands had indeed cupped her breasts.

"Yumi?" He saw what she was looking at and retracted his hands right away, "Oh my god! Yumi, I am so sorry!"

"Ulrich…"

"Please don't be mad, I didn't know! I wish I could take it back, I wish I could…"

She pressed a finger to his lips, "Ulrich, calm down. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I…" She pressed harder.

"It's okay, I'm not angry."

"Really?"

She nodded her head, "Come on, I think we should see what the others are doing."

He blushed, "Yeah…"

* * *

Odd and Sam pulled away from their kiss as the door slid open. The other four were outside.

"Can we come in?" Aelita asked.

"Sure."

They settled down on the couch, which was fully adjustable as it changed from a two-seater to a six-seater with ease. They put on a funny movie to help wipe away any sadness that held them.

"Computer, can you bring us some popcorn, please?"

"Easily, miss, with the lounge's food replicator. How much butter and salt would you like?"

"Cinema style, please."

"Six buckets of popcorn coming right up."

One after another, the large buckets found in move theaters everywhere, came out of the food replicator filled to the brim with popcorn.

Enjoying the time as friends, the couples sat next to each other and had a good time. After the movies, they had dinner and talked about old times. Spending the entire night in laughter, they had finally spent some quality time as friends.

Tired, they found their way back to the stasis chamber and were almost ready for sleep.

"Yumi, could you keep me on? I want to be with you always."

"Sure, Ulrich. Sorry about powering you down the other night."

"It's no problem, Yumi. Let's just get some sleep."

"Okay, you go on ahead, I want to tell something to Aelita."

"Yeah, sure."

She pulled Aelita aside, "Yes, Yumi?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you were right."

Aelita raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"It did feel like a tingle."

Her eyes widened, "What? You mean you…and Ulrich?"

"It was accidental, but it still felt, um good."

"You got to tell me all about it."

Yumi yawned, "How about tomorrow? I'm kinda beat."

"No fair, we tease me by saying that and now leave, I'll be up all night wondering."

Yumi shushed her down, "Okay, okay, here's how it started."

* * *

As Yumi was recounting her tale about what happened, Trickster looked at the strange cylinder that he had gotten from his apartment from Es Darta.

"Are you sure about this plan, sir?"

"It is the only means to set right what had been set wrong."

"But, I thought you would never do this."

"The rejoining. It has to be done, it is the only way."

"If you say so, sir."

"I know that this isn't what you want, but it is what has to be done."

"Keep telling yourself that, sir."

He stared at the cylinder, "Sorry…"

**

* * *

Next Chapter, Day Three of Vacation.**


	17. Vacation's Over

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen – Vacation's Over

Sam awoke first to greet the day with a yawn. Seeing the others were still asleep, she quieted down. Odd had shifted in his sleep some time during the night and was nearly on top of her. Nodding in gently in hopes of awaking him, Sam found herself in the same predicament Aelita was in the day before. However, she wouldn't be as considerate.

"Odd." She whispered and gently tapped his shoulder, all he did was stir.

"Odd, I need to breathe some time this morning. Odd…" Sam tapped him again.

He mumbled, "I don't want to go to school today."

Normally, she would be mad with him, but he looked so cute nuzzling up and sleeping by her side. Sam rested her head back on the pillow and brought her arm around, she was trying to get closer to her boyfriend.

An hour of warm snuggling was enjoyable. Then the other girls awoke to see Sam happy being close to Odd. Yumi and Aelita squeezed their boyfriends lightly and it felt very nice. Ulrich was the first of the boys to awake, he felt Yumi's hands rubbing his arms and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. This was enjoyable for the few seconds it lasted before Odd woke up.

Yawning like a mountain lion, the blonde spike-hair teen awoke. He shook his head and saw Sam cradling him.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

She frustratedly shrugged her head, "Jeez, I am just trying to be close to you. You can at least like it…man!"

Sam started getting out of the cot, but Odd held her wrist, "Sam, please, I'm sorry. You know what I'm like in the morning."

She sighed and looked into his puppy dog eyes, "Damn, I hate it when you give me those eyes, I can't resist them."

"I know, but you know I am sorry."

"Yes, I know…" Sam talked in a soft tone, "…my svelte man."

Odd gasped and smiled, "You called me svelte."

"That I did." She brought herself in for a kiss.

Jeremy who was awakened by the roar of Odd, turned to Aelita, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Jeremy. Did you sleep well?"

"Like a log. What do you want to do today?"

She smiled causing him to blush, "Well, I think you have a good idea. She grabbed his collar and brought him in closer, "And we have the Holo-studio all to ourselves."

"That would be great." He turned his eyes away.

"Jeremy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, everything is great."

"Jeremy…"

"Yeah, it is just the last two days have been great, but we hardly just talk anymore."

"Jeremy, I do enjoy talking with you. The reason I've been wanting us to be more…" she gestured her hand over and over, "…well, we never got to have any time like that when we were constantly fighting XANA and I just wanted to be close to you."

He smiled, "Sorry, Aelita. I never should have doubted you."

"That's okay. What time is it?"

"It is about nine in the morning."

"We should head to breakfast."

Jeremy got up and Aelita followed him.

"Come on, girls, breakfast."

"Ulrich, I need to get up please."

He pretended to awake and smiled, "Sure thing, Yumi."

"Had a good dream?"

"A good morning."

She smiled and they got off the bed.

"Odd, we are going to be late."

"Why? I can't eat anything anymore."

"So, I have to suffer?"

"Okay, sorry. Let's go."

When they arrived at breakfast, Trickster was nowhere to be found. They ordered their breakfast from the replicator and sat down.

"Where do you think Trickster is?" Aelita asked.

Yumi replied, "I don't know, but we haven't seen him in a while."

"Yeah outside of breakfast, we hardly see him. Guys, what do you think?"

The three boyfriends looked from the table and wore blank expressions on their faces.

Jeremy cleared his throat, "Well, we don't know much about Trickster and so we really can't talk about him."

"Oh okay, what is everyone going to do today?" Yumi asked.

"Jeremy and I have the Holo-studio today."

"Ship's Lounge again, Odd?"

"What? Yeah, sure."

"What's wrong, Odd?"

"Nothing, I just got distracted."

"Thinking too much?" She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, "You know what that does to you." Pecking him on the cheek, he blushed.

Yumi held Ulrich's hand, "Come on, Ulrich. Let's go and have some fun."

"Well…okay." He smiled and she took his hand, lifting him up from the chair.

"See you guys later."

"See you, Yumi…and Ulrich." Sam corrected herself.

The other two couples enjoyed breakfast, then Sam took Odd to the Ship's Lounge. Aelita snuggled against Jeremy just to see him blush before they went to the Holo-Studio.

* * *

Ulrich laid his head on Yumi's lap as he looked up at his beautiful girlfriend, who was smiling back at him. They looked at the stars and enjoyed the view.

"Isn't it a wonderful view?" He said as he gazed at the stars passed Yumi.

Her smile widened as Yumi looked only at her boyfriend, "Yes, he is."

He looked back up into her perfect eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too, Ulrich."

They closed their eyes and leaned to kiss each other, then his head banged from her glass helmet.

"Ow, sorry, Yumi. Forgot about the spacesuit."

"It's okay, Ulrich. This was the only way to truly see the stars."

"One of the benefits of being all light, no need for oxygen."

"Don't forget pressure."

"Yeah, that's true. Do you want to head inside?"

She shook her head and patted her lap, "Not just yet. Come back here and I want to see more of that fantastic view."

* * *

Elsewhere on ship, Aelita and Jeremy were experiencing a similar moment. They were hand-in-hand walked along the same path they took on their first night on Earth together.

"This is amazing, Jeremy. It even feels a little chilly."

"Glad you like it, Aelita."

"Now it would be perfect if we can see the whole city from the Eiffel Tower, but we have to climb all those stairs."

"No need, Aelita, my dear. Computer, Eiffel Tower, top floor please."

"Acknowledged."

The scenery shifted instantly and they were on the top platform of the Eiffel Tower. Aelita turned around to see that they were indeed at the top, she leaned on the railing and looked at the City of Lights.

"This is beautiful, Jeremy."

Jeremy leaned on the railing next to her, "Not as beautiful as you, Aelita".

She gently nudged him on the shoulder, "Jeremy, you're making me blush."

"But it is true, Aelita."

"I know you're right, but I was thinking…is there anywhere else in the world you want to go?"

"Well, Computer, Sphinx, High Noon."

"Acknowledged."

With another shift of scenery, they stood on the head of the Sphinx in Egypt with the desert sun beaming down on them.

"Wow, the endless sand, I forgot how big it was."

"All my memories aren't together, but I remember you wanted to come here when we fled Europe to evade XANA."

"Yeah, but he was after us and so we couldn't spare the time."

"Now we have all the time in the world."

"Oh, oh, Jeremy. May I pick the next location?"

"Go for it."

"Computer, Great Wall of China, High Noon."

"Acknowledged."

"Wow, this is so cool. You can see all the mountains and forests, there is the Gobi Desert on the horizon. This land is so beautiful."

"Yeah, but I want to show you one of my favorite landmarks, Computer…"

* * *

In the Ship's Lounge, Sam watched the movie as Odd rested his head on her lap as his body laid over the length of the couch.

"Odd, this has been a great couple of days. Thank you for sharing them with me."

"You're welcome, Sam. I enjoyed spending time with you, too."

"What movie is this again?"

"DPD 2, the revenge of Zedrius. The Action blockbuster of the summer of 77323."

"Dimensional Police Department is after this Zedrius, right?"

"The diabolical mastermind of the once great Helios Falcon Syndicate, whose leadership was arrested by the DPD in the first movie."

"Ah, okay."

"Okay?" Odd sat upright, "These two officers just blew open a Ternarian Freighter with only their police suits. Look at the destruction, the falling ship parts, and the plasma bolts."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of destruction, falling ship parts, and plasma bolts. But right now, I just want to enjoy some quality time with you."

"Well…what did you have in mind?"

She smiled and shook her head slightly, "You are clueless."

"What? How I'm I supposed to know what you want us to…" Then it hit him, "…oh, gotcha."

He got closer to her, hugging her as they enjoyed this nice moment together.

* * *

"Well, Ulrich, I think it is time we headed back in."

"Okay, Yumi."

She stood up and her boots magnetized to the hull. Walking in space was something new to her, so it was like walking through gelatin. Ulrich, who had an easier time without the need to wear a suit.

Ulrich lifted his head, "Yumi? Do you hear that humming?"

"What humming? I don't hear anything."

"I swore I heard something."

"There is nothing here, you can't hear sounds in space for there is no air."

"Well, I heard something and unless it is a glitch in my programming."

"Wait, I hear it now."

"Yeah, it seems louder now." Ulrich turned to Yumi, "Yumi! Look out!"

She turned to see lasers blast apart the hull in front of her. They came down and as quickly as they came, they left.

"Yumi, are you okay?"

He walked around a little more before asking, "Yumi?"

The smoke that erupted from the hull started to fade. Ulrich looked around and couldn't find her.

"Yumi!" He froze and saw her, floating inches above the hull. Her blood dripped in small drops into the weightless vacuum of space. Her eyes closed, her lips unmoving, her body very still. Her face was already turning blue and Ulrich shook watching her float without a single sign of life.

**

* * *

Is Yumi alive? What is it that attacked them? What will happen then?**


	18. Homecoming

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen – Homecoming

"Yumi…Yumi! Can you hear me?" Ulrich shouted as he brought her through the airlock.

Yumi couldn't see anything as she was frozen to the bone, the wound in her side had no feeling. She didn't notice the warmth of the New Light's interior. The only thing she could barely feel was being in Ulrich's arms.

"Trickster! Trickster! Where are you! Yumi…she needs your help."

"Ulrich! We heard the blasts and came out, what is…oh my god."

He whimpered, "It's horrible, Sam. My Yumi!"

Sam looked around the corridor and saw a call button, pressing it down she said, "Trickster, Yumi's been hurt. We are taking her to the Medical Bay. Meet us there."

She let go of the call button, "Okay, let's get going."

"What about Jeremy and Aelita?"

"They'll figure something out, I mean they are both geniuses, after all."

* * *

"Aelita, I can't figure this out." Jeremy said, pounding at the door of the Holo-Studio.

"I know, Jeremy, we are making out in the royal bedroom of Versailles when the hologram ends and we both smacked to the floor."

"And now we can't get the door open."

"Jeremy, there is no need to panic, alright? I can feel the air blowing through the vents and someone is going to come for us soon." She walked behind and rubbed his shoulders, "Could you relax…for me?"

He sighed, "You're right, Aelita. Do you wanna…?"

"Continue? Sure thing." She held her boyfriend close and they picked up where they left off.

* * *

"Sir, damage report indicates multiple level one breaches in the hull. The shields have been reactivated, the atmospheric conditions have returned to optimal. Repair drones are working on the damage."

"Good, what about our guests?"

"Interior Sensors were damaged in the attack, there are blind spots in my surveillance."

"Keep looking, knowing if they're all right is paramount."

"_Trickster, Yumi's been hurt. We are taking her to the Medical Bay. Meet us there."_

He dipped his head down, "Damn it." Then he left the bridge, "Computer, scan the radar logs. I want to know what hit us and where it went."

In a minute, he opened the door to the Medical Bay and there were the four teenagers. Yumi was already on the examination table and out of the spacesuit.

"Computer, medical apparatus online!"

"Activating…" The table's scanner rolled over from one side locking in place on the other. Trickster walked to the scanner's control panel, he pushed a few buttons and numbers started to appear on its screen.

"Computer, her body temperature has dropped to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, her organs are damaged from exposure to the vacuum, not to mention the wound. Switch the scanner to an atmospheric container. Start nano-regeneration right away."

"Acknowledged."

The scanner extended down the other two sides, completely covering Yumi.

"The atmospheric container will gradually restore her body heat. All we can do is wait and see. Speaking of which where are Jeremy and Aelita?"

"They are in the Holo-Studio."

"Okay, they are safe and that's all that matters. When the ship was breached, emergency lockdown procedures were implemented. Until the system timer is up, they are locked in the studio for now."

"When will the timer go off?"

"If there is no further attack, then one hour."

"An hour?"

"Hey, I know how you feel and trust me in that I have tried to rewrite that procedure, but it is hard-coded into the mechanisms. Regardless, we are close to Arlunola and should be there in a matter of minutes. Once we are there, we can put the next phase of the plan into action. I need you all to listen to me for the next couple of hours and everything will be right."

"Okay."

"Computer, have you found the logs?"

"Indeed I have, the logs indicated that the hull was breached by thirteen Hardan Mark VI laser blasts. The enemy ships were using a stealth jamming field, so we have no information on the class or model of craft."

"That could be any of the enemies I have out there. Ulrich, you were with Yumi when this happened, do you remember anything that could be helpful?"

"Well…I heard this strange humming noise as if it was…"

"…like an insect beating its wings?" Trickster finished.

"Yes, exactly."

"Damn, this is not good at all."

"Wait…you know who did this to Yumi?"

"Hardan Mark VI Lasers…beating of an insect's wings…it was Mabdoan Wasp Stingers. This is very bad."

"So we have a new enemy to face?"

"No, an old one. All Mabdoans are extinct, their technology was harvested by the Vok'tul."

"So, they didn't stop at the mall?"

"No, the Mother Node is obsessed with me. Once she has a lead, she will explore it until I am caught or it runs cold. Regardless of her reasons, the two ships they sent were scouts. This means she is about to stage an invasion."

"Oh this is just fantastic…" Sam froze for a second, "How did you know there were two ships?"

"Because they always send two ships, its their standard procedure for invasion."

"But can we fight an entire armada?"

"No, we can't. Which is more reason to enact my plan and quickly. Computer, how close to Arlunola?"

"About twenty minutes, sir."

"Bring us beyond full speed. That should get us there in ten minutes."

"Why so fast?"

"I'll tell you why, there will be an entire Vok'tul armada in the skys of Arlunola in an hour. If I am…I mean, we are going to go through with this plan we will need every second we can get."

"You keep talking about this plan of yours? What is it?"

"It is called the Rejoining and I would explain it now, but frankly we do not have the time."

"Well, we have ten minutes. Nowhere to go until then."

"Fine. First let us start with Metaphysical Sciences 101. Popular belief is held that Time acts like a river when this is not true. Time is actually an empirical force that has a cascading effect based on the derivative experiences and actions of every being, sentient or non-sentient, in the known or unknown universe."

He stopped, as everyone in the room was asleep.

"Metaphysical Science, it is a great knockout pill."

With that said, Trickster left the room.

* * *

In ten minutes, they flew through the atmosphere of Arlunola and landed on the spaceport that was in the outskirts of the city. Taking a vehicle he invented called a 'TrickCycle', he sped through the stone streets of the Arlunolan Capital of Kerhrest. On the other side of this city was a high-rise where four luxurious mansions stood apart from one another, forming an almost perfect semi-circle. The one that belonged to his family was in the back and to the left.

Driving up to the garage, he pressed a button next to the throttle and the garage's laser door powered down. When he slid inside, he pressed it again to cause it to power up.

Taking off his helmet and other safety gear, he walked inside his second home.

Marble walls and pillars stood on the edges of every room as a wooden floor was placed everything, but the kitchen had tiles. Various potted plants stood between the pillars growing in the sunlight from the tall grass windows. The room had two couches facing each other with a glass coffee table standing between them in the center of the room. A few books littered the top of the table. Trickster stood in the lounge of the mansion.

"It's good to be home."

"We missed you." A purple-haired woman stood in the doorway. She wore an all-purpose female suit: humanoid model like Aelita, but it was light purple in color rather than red.

"Shelly! It's good to see you again." Trickster walked over and hugged her with her hugging back.

"Trickster, why have you returned?"

"Well, I am in the middle of another adventure and I need to use the secret chamber."

Shelly looked around to make sure no one else was nearby, "Are you crazy? That's too much power for anyone even you."

"I am not going to use it for anything big, I just need to make a few corrections is all."

"But you told me…"

"I know what I said, however these kids need the Rejoining more than anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, I got six teenagers from an alternate timeline in my ship at this moment and in a few moments, this planet is going to have an entire Vok'tul armada breathing down its neck. Don't ask me now, there is no time to explain. So, I need the key to the secret chamber I left you."

Her green eyes looked into his blue ones, she nodded, "Okay, Thetarin, but this has to the last time for a long time."

"Yes, I promise…little sis."

Shelly gave him a little sister smirk before taking off her necklace, it was a small green crystal sharpened to a point.

"Thank you, Shelly."

She pulled her hand away, "After you talk with Alicia."

He looked to the sky in frustration, "Why?"

"Because she misses you for the past two years you've been doing everything to avoid her since the baby was born."

"You don't understand Shelly. When someone slips a roofie into your drink and has their way with you, then you will understand my avoidance."

"I know, she told me all about it."

"Then why don't you understand?"

"Because I've heard both sides of the story and it is about time that you did too. Go talk to Alicia and you may finally get why your anger is misplaced."

"It is not my anger she has, it is my frustration."

"Whatever you say, big brother. I'll be by the chamber entrance when you are finished with your talk."

"Great, this is going to be fun."

Trickster walked over to the garden, this was Alicia's favorite place in the whole mansion for she never saw such beauty in her previous life. Trickster saw her sitting on the grass as a small boy ran around following butterflies.

He stood by the doorway as he saw his little boy enjoying the sun and the fresh air. It was only a matter of moments when Trickster was noticed, the boy with blonde hair ran toward his mother.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"What is it, Daedalus?"

He pointed toward the doorway. Alicia turned and her eyes welled up at the sight of Trickster.

"Trickster, you've returned!"

His voice lacked enthusiasm, "Yes…yes I have."

Daedalus tugged on Alicia's skirt, "Mommy, who this?"

"Daedalus, this is your father, Trickster."

"Oh, the one Aunt Shelly calls a…" Alicia held his mouth for a moment.

"Now, Daedalus, remember what I said about repeating what Aunt Shelly says."

"Sorry, mommy."

"It's fine, my sweet pinch-able prince. Now go back to the garden and play for a bit longer. Your father and I need to talk, we'll be over here in the den, so we can still see you, okay?"

"Yes, mommy."

She gave him a small kiss on the forehead and Daedalus ran back to chasing butterflies. They entered the den and closed the glass doors behind them.

"Well, Trickster, now that he can't hear us, what is the real reason why you're back."

"I need to use the secret chamber."

"I know it was something like that. You wouldn't come back to see your son or be with your family?"

"What family? The only family I have here is Shelly and that's it."

"If not me, but not even your son?"

"That boy is the result of your dirty work. I know he is my own and I want to be there for him, but every time I think about it, I remember what you did to me that dreadful night."

"Let you have the right to talk? You've been living in luxury while I was on the streets, how dare you try to justify my actions without giving me the chance to explain."

"Luxury? My father beat me regularly while my mother did nothing! Sure this is a fancy house, but it was never a home for me, not for a long time."

"At least you had a house. After my mother died, I had no one! Do you know what they do to a little human girl on the street? The many times I had to hide in filth, so I couldn't get raped! You don't know what my life had been like before this!"

"You think I had a perfect life? You never had people who said they loved you when in fact they hated you! My parents had my memory scanned every week, so they could find my inventions and destroy them! I had to cut a hole in my skull to insert my metal bugs that block out any psychic invasion."

Alicia cried, "Trickster, why can't you understand? Your life wasn't perfect, but you were provided for. Everyday I worried about food, shelter, and not to be taken advantage of. When I first heard from my sister, a half-sister I didn't know I had, it was the greatest joy I've felt in a long time. When she talked about her fiancée and how great he was and the picture she showed me, I fell for you that moment."

"Then why didn't you just talk to me? I would have let you stay here without any worry because you are Cecilia's family."

"It was hard never to trust. I was afraid you would reject me and I would have to spend the rest of my life on the streets where I never wanted to return. When I saw you heading toward that bar, I had to take my chance."

"Yeah, I know all about that. What did…" He took a small pause, "…Cecilia say about me?"

Alicia smiled, "You were kind, handsome…you had a great sense of humor, you were manly but not afraid to feel, plus you were charismatic and a great lay from what she told me."

"Really?"

"When you found me after the 'incident', you acted like nothing of what she described. You yelled and ridiculed me, but you said I could stay with you for it was the right thing now I was carrying a child. You made me feel so heartbroken after these nine months, I know you fought to save my life during those long months, but afterward, you disappeared after giving him a name."

"I couldn't stand being in the room with him. To tell you the truth, I never thought of having kids, I always imagine dying amongst my inventions or by one. Having a son…" Trickster sighed, "I couldn't face it."

Alicia got in closer and hugged him, "Could you? He is such a sweet boy, so much like his father when he's calm. Besides you'll have Shelly to help and you also have me to well…you know the master bed is kind of lonely some nights."

"Well…"

"Daddy!" Daedalus ran into the room and tugged his hand, "Daddy! Come, look at the butterflies with me!"

Trickster looked into his son's brown eyes and smiled, "Sure, I'll stay."

Alicia smiled as Trickster walked hand-in-hand with their son. They walked into the garden and saw the butterflies dancing in the wind. Trickster's sixth sense tingled and he had saw a large fireball heading toward them.

"Down!" He dropped to the grass while covering his son. The giant fireball flew over them and hit the rock wall just over the garden.

"Alicia, are you all right?"

She coughed and stood up.

"Everyone inside now, come on, Daedalus."

He started to cry, "Daddy?"

Trickster scooped his son into his arms as Shelly came outside, "What's going on?"

"Shelly, take Daedalus and Alicia to the secret chamber. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to get the kids from my ship here. The Vok'tul came sooner than expected."

"But why? If you are going to rejoin them anyway, why do you need them?"

"The Rejoining only works if they are currently alive. I will bring them back as fast as I can. You still have that battle suit?"

"Yeah, it's down there already."

"Get them in there and put it on. If any Vok'tul came down, take care of them. I promise I will be as quick as I can."

Trickster ran into the garage and got on his TrickCycle. When he zoomed toward the city, he saw the dozens of cruisers in orbit as they blasted down toward Kerhrest. This wasn't going to be easy, but he knew it was the only way.

"Don't worry, kids. I'm coming."

* * *

Sam awoke from her sleep as the New Light shook. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew once they were outside that they would see the whole picture. Then she heard another noise, much louder and getting closer.

Sam rocked the others and they slowly awoke, "Sam, what's happening?"

"I don't know, Odd. But whatever it is, it won't be good."

Then a corner of the room split open and they saw two Vok'tul peered at them, "Harvest all those in the name of the Mother Node."

"You're right, Sam, definitely not good."


	19. Planet On Fire

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen – Planet on Fire

The Capital of Kerhrest was in panic as people ran confused as the sight of several Vok'tul cruisers descending through the upper atmosphere, turning the once blue sky red with the flames of entry. Trickster sped on his TrickCycle and paused for a second as he watched the city come under siege.

"Damn Vok'tul, coming to my homeworld. I put all these people in harm's way. Time I did some good for this world like the others."

He got off his TrickCycle and kicked the left side of its chassis. The plating lifted out and apart, revealing what looked like a small tube with a trigger handle. He gave it a firm tug and freed it from its compartment. Getting on one knee, the tube extended on both ends, the back turning into an exhaust pipe, the front became the stock of the weapon. The projectile compiled itself on the end. Trickster looked through the scope, took aim and fired. This diamond-shaped rocket soared through the air and hit the primary laser array of one of the smaller cruisers and exploded instantly.

With a smile, Trickster took a look at the small screen above the trigger handle.

"I got 9 minutes, 55 seconds for the next one to come by. I got no time to wait."

He lowered the weapon and it retracted back to its original shape, then threw it into the compartment where the plating shut closed. Mounting the cycle, he kicked the right side and the plating opened up. The weapon extended out and up, Trickster took it from its holster. This weapon was his laser cutter, an energy rifle with a high-powered scope.

Trickster looked through the scope, aiming at one of the larger cruisers. He adjusted the power with the knob just above the grip. Then with a squeeze of the trigger, a thin blue-white beam of energy shot out into the skies above. It took a moment to pierce through the shields, but then it left a thin scar across the length of the ship. A chain of explosions occurred as Trickster revved his engine and charged toward the New Light.

Looking through the lens of his weapon, he took aim and fired while going at high speed.

* * *

At the same moment, Sam, Odd, and Ulrich stood against the far wall of the Medical Bay as two Vok'tul gripped the ceiling just outside the hole they made. These Vok'tul looked at the girls interestingly.

They spoke in unison, "Scanning…body matches…positive. Escaped targets are in visual range. Awaiting orders."

"Sam, do you have an idea what to do?"

"We should create a diversion and the others could escape."

"Good, but how will we create this distraction?"

"Like this." Ulrich shouted and ran forward. He pressed a button on the exam table where Yumi was. Yumi's plastic shield was covered with a layer of retractable steel and began to sink into the floor. The Vok'tul sprang on him, Ulrich fell to the floor and felt their crushing blow. They wanted to claw at him, but no wound showed because of him being composed of light. He kicked one off with his right leg and he struggled with the other one, but managed to stand.

"Go now, Sam!"

"What about you?"

Ulrich knocked his opponent off-balance and threw him into the other Vok'tul, "I'll go with Yumi and protect her. You find a way to free Jeremy and Aelita. We'll meet you outside."

"Ulrich…"

"Don't worry, Sam. What can they do? Kill me again? Don't just stand there, go!"

Ulrich jumped into the hole and landed on Yumi's steel barrier. Odd and Sam went through the door out into the hall. The two Vok'tul got up and they looked at each other before splitting up, following both pairs of teenage heroes.

* * *

Trickster sped up as the crowds of fleeing people dispersed underground in hopes of not getting harvested. However Vok'tul still roamed the streets of the Capital as the suppression forces were fighting a losing battle.

Kicking the left side again, he pulled out his Super Long-Range Rocket Propelled Grenade or SULOR-RPG for short. It extended outward as he looked at the timer.

"Five…Four…Three…Two…One."

A new projectile assembled itself on the tip and he took aim, firing and destroyed another small cruiser.

"Two down, twenty-eight to go and that's not counting the big ones."

Bringing his weapon back to its retracted size, he leaned slightly and put it away. He didn't notice the plating retract as his eyes focused on the road ahead. A deafening roar drew his attention to the skies as two fireballs were soaring down the road from him.

"Drop pods. Damn it!" He revved his engine, hoping to meet them.

With a crash, the drop pods reached their destinations as a cloud of brown dust blew up through the air. A second later, two Vok'tul emerged, but they were a head-and-a-half taller than a human, red silted eyes and two cleaving blades for forearms.

"Cleavers, haven't seen them in a while."

The Vok'tul looked around before seeing Trickster come into range.

"Trickster." They said in unison.

He turned his TrickCycle to a halt before dismounting.

"Wow, the Mother Node must have searched her memory banks to bring you guys back in action."

"Target…acquired…capture…Trickster."

"Still not much on brains, huh?"

They pointed their blades toward him.

"No…? Okay, let's try brawn."

A liquid metal slithered from Trickster's chest and spread until it encompassed his entire body. Then it changed into his TrickSuit before solidifying. He brought his Nano-disassembler and with two bursts, the cleavers dissolved into a black pool.

"That wasn't so hard."

As if the universe was on cue, a nearby building crumbled and smoke streamed across the street. Trickster lowered his arm as it faded.

"Damn it…A Decimator."

This Vok'tul was a small building in height and over three men in width. It's frame was slender instead of bulky like its Cleaver comrades. Its arms had massive hands, capable of crushing rocks with ease. The legs were expected of that for a walker robot. Its torso was unique for there was no chest, but an opening that allowed the blue orb to float between the two chassis plates. The orb spun, revealing a mechanical eye, it focused on Trickster and in a split second, he punched his target and Trickster flew across the street, crashing into a building.

After a moment, Trickster stood up through the rising dust, "Damn, I forgot how hard these guys hit. This will take some time."

* * *

Ulrich brushed the steel, knowing Yumi was on the other side. Then, a horrible scream echoed down the shaft as the Vok'tul bounced off the walls to slow his fall.

"Damn, there is only one. The other must be after Sam and Odd."

The Vok'tul jumped down with razor-sharp claws and fangs. Ulrich rolled back and pushed his feet up, catching his adversary in mid-air. Buckling under the strain, Ulrich shouted loud and pushed up with all his might. The Vok'tul slammed into the wall, falling down to the ground. He turned the robot around and punched him across the face, then winched in pain.

"Oh, my hand still feels like flesh punching metal."

During this opening, the Vok'tul kicked Ulrich on his back, then jumped on top of him. Though no wounds were left, Ulrich could feel the pain as the metal claws entered his body.

"Damn, got to get him off me." Ulrich kneed his enemy in the chest several times, but the robot refused to budge.

"This is not working. Wished I had a weapon."

Then he remembered when Yumi took all his clothes off with the press of a button. This gave him an idea. He grabbed the creature's throat, holding it at bay and giving him the time he needs.

"Yumi! Yumi! I need you do something for me!"

She stirred awake, more feeling has returned to her, but she was still feeling really cold.

"Yumi! Are you there?"

"Ulrich…" Whispering weakly.

"Yumi, I need you to do this for me or we are both dead! You understand?"

"Ulrich…"

"Your recorder…" He bit his teeth as a claw went inside him, "….give me a set of clothes that has a weapon…anything."

"Ulrich…" Yumi shed a tear as her brow tightened in determination. She struggled to bring her arm over to the recorder, her fingers barely moved. Rolling her body back-and-forth, she slingshot her arm across her body and landed next to the recorder. Now, her fingers touched the crystal and the display menu appeared.

"Come on, I need to stay awake." The grip of cold was getting too much as the temptation of sleep became sweeter, "Ulrich is…counting on…me."

She flipped through the options quickly, then her eyes widened in joy as she picked the one option Ulrich would like the most. With her part finished, Yumi couldn't hold back any longer and drifted asleep.

"Yumi!" He shouted in frustration, then he saw as his body recompiled. This change caused his opponent to jump back in surprise. When it was finished, Ulrich laid there in red samurai armor with a katana and wakazashi sheathed on his waist. With a smile of triumph, Ulrich rolled back and onto his feet. Drawing the katana, he gripped it firmly in both hands. Yelling in a battlecry, he charged the Vok'tul who threw a strike.

Stepping back, Ulrich evaded the blow and resumed his charge. Bringing the katana down, it severed the left arm of the Vok'tul. The robot in reprise brought his other claw around, aiming for Ulrich's eyes. But with a quick deflection, he threw his foe off-balance and bringing the sword up and down, it left a large cut through the neck and down into the chest. The Vok'tul fell on it knees as it registered the damage. With a final shout, Ulrich took the head off his opponent.

The battle ended just as they descended into the cargo hold. The examination table tilted into a slant. This made Ulrich and his defeated foe lose balance and land onto the floor. Bulkheads now closed the shaft above. Ulrich and Yumi were now safe in the cargo hold. Until Yumi recovers, Ulrich stood guard and waited for either rescue or another adversary.

* * *

Sam and Odd ran to the Holo-Studio, which wasn't too far from the Medical Bay. They heard the Vok'tul approaching.

"Sam!"

"I know, Odd! We're almost there!"

The robot jumped up and lunged for Odd, Sam saw it in the nick of time to hit a button. The Vok'tul pounced through soft light as it buried itself halfway into the metal grated floor. Odd turned back, not believing his eyes.

"What the…how did you?"

"Tangibility switch, remember? Here it is." Sam banged on the door, "Aelita! Jeremy! Can you hear me?"

"Yes, Sam, we can."

"Listen, I am going to try to get you guys out of there, so back away from the door."

"Sam, Jeremy and I have an idea. But you need to back away."

"Huh? Why?"

Sparks erupted out toward Sam as she jumped back, "What's going on?"

"Whatever they are doing, it seems to be working. We got a nasty metal monster to take care of first."

On cue, the Vok'tul rushed Sam and Odd, who was switched back to hard light. Odd punched the robot, which made him winch. Finding no anecdote to his pain, he threw another punch and missed. Sam stood ready in case that thing pushes past her boyfriend, which it did on the fifth punch. Throwing Odd down the hall, it focused on Sam. Horror filled her for there was nothing to fight with, then she remembered having a weapon, after all.

When it leapt for her, Sam rolled on her back and held the thing above her with her arms and legs. It weighed a ton, but she refused to let go, not until she made her move. Holding her foe in place, she tapped her boots together and with a smile, watched as her hoverboard compiled.

The Vok'tul watched as it now filled with horror as the hoverboard compiled through it, cutting it in half by the waist. With half the weight gone, Sam stood up with the robot and threw it down the hall where Odd ducked just in time.

"That should buy us some time." Sam said and looked back at the door, "They are almost through."

"Sam! You might want to take a look at this!"

She turned to see the Vok'tul grabbing it's severed lower half and with a hop, threw it behind him. Wiggling his two halves into place, the ends turned to liquid as it worked on reconstituting its original form. In a matter of seconds, it stood up fully functional. It clicked it's mouth and claws together in anticipation. It leapt…

The door shot through and crashed against the opposing wall as Aelita stepped in, her suit in defensive mode, and took aim. With a small laser stream, the Vok'tul screeched in agony as it was cut from shoulder-to-waist and flopped down offline.

"Aelita, how did you…"

"My lasers in defensive mode can be kept charged as a precision laser, this is how we cut through the door and sliced it down."

Looking down at the inactive robot, Sam elaborated, "So, it has a harder time healing from energy wounds?"

"The laser cauterized the metal, keeping the nano-organisms from regenerating much like human tissue."

Jeremy looked around, "Where's Yumi and Ulrich?"

Sam paused, "Yumi…Yumi was in space when she was shot. We damn near lost her."

Aelita gasped, "Oh no."

"Ulrich is keeping the other Vok'tul at bay right now as Yumi recovers. Hopefully, we can get to the cargo hold. That is where they should be."

"Then let's go."

The four teenagers rushed through the ship, but all the hatches to the cargo bay were sealed. Left with no other choice, they went outside to find a way in.

"We better hurry, I don't like the look of those things." Odd pointed to the descending ships in the sky.

"They must be landing troops into the city. If we don't move soon, then there won't be any chance of getting to safety."

"Jeez, way to put it, Einstein!"

"Sorry, but I call them as I see them."

Aelita sniffled, "I hope Yumi is okay."

"We'll know soon enough, come on!"

"Hey guys!" They heard an all too familiar voice, which brought tears of joy to Aelita.

"Ulrich!" She saw Ulrich in samurai armor holding Yumi in his arms.

"She has been brought back to atmospheric normalcy…well, that's what the computer says, anyway. All she needs to do now is regain consciousness."

"Good, let's get going!" Jeremy said as they turned toward the city. Five Vok'tul stood before them.

Odd shouted, "Oh, come on! What is with these guys, they're always there when you don't want them to."

"Odd…"

"Yes, Ulrich?"

"Shut up."

The end of their journey stood before them, the only good part was Ulrich knew Yumi would die in her sleep and there would be no pain for her. The metal monsters salivated as their need to harvest was close to satisfaction.

"YAHHHHHOOOOOOOO!" was what pierced the air.

The TrickCycle leapt through the air. Trickster turned it sideways and landed on three of the Vok'tul. As he swerved to a halt, his energy rifle took care of the other two.

"You all need a lift?"

Odd shouted, "You couldn't have cut that any closer? Here I was thinking my Sam was going to die when you show you like a hero and save us."

"Well…you're welcome. Ladies, advisory mode. But first, Aelita in front of me, Yumi will sit in front of you. Sam, grip my midsection and hold on tight. We are going fast and…"

"Furious?" Odd blurted out.

Trickster looked at him with a blank stare, "Can someone hit him for me? He's out of my reach."

Ulrich smiled and turned to Odd, but was stopped by Sam, "No, Ulrich…" Odd breathed a sigh of relief, "…let me do it."

"Sam!" He shouted as she whapped him across the head.

"Let's go!"

The boys placed Yumi in front of Trickster leaning her against him. Aelita sat in between them laid Yumi down and leaned down on top of her for she couldn't support herself, Aelita then switched both Ulrich and Jeremy to advisory mode. In the meantime, Sam got behind Trickster and as instructed, got a firm grip, then switched Odd to advisory mode. Pressing a button on the handlebars, Trickster extended them out toward him to compensate for the new seating arrangements.

Without another second, they sped off toward his house. Trickster took one last look back at his beloved ship, wondering if he will see it again. Focusing on the road, he evaded Vok'tul, debris, and any other obstacles that blocked their path.

"We are halfway and still not out of the woods yet…wait! What is that?" Trickster's gaze looked up into the sky as a twinkle of light became a large laser that pierced the road in front of them. Acting on instinct, Trickster swerved his ride to a complete halt. But it launched them a few feet forward, but just short of the laser. When it stopped and the dust began to clear, he saw many of the cruisers were charging weapons to fire.

"Damn, I thought it wasn't going to end this way. No! Not like this!" He looked around to see the teenagers were getting up, they were in no position to run at the time. Trickster's eyes batted back-and-forth as options came to mind, but there was no chance of saving himself without sacrificing his youthful charges. Trickster closed his eyes and tears fell, "I'm sorry!"

He heard the lasers reach full power when explosions littered the sky and it looked as if it was on fire. Trickster opened his eyes to see several cruisers crashing down in flames. It seemed a miracle occurred, but from where?

"What? What is going on? Wait…there!" He looked to see a small fighter cutting through the enemy fleet. But as fast as it was a ship, it turned into a silhouette of man, then into another ship, a much larger one and starting laying waste to much of the fleet.

"No! It can't be…"

The large ship turned back to a man who hopped from Vok'tul fighers as if they were stepping stones and landed in front of Trickster. The silhouette stood upright while facing the fleet.

"It is good to see you again, old friend. Where was that spontaneity that you were so famous for, Trickster?"

Trickster smirked, "Hmph…I haven't lost my edge if that's what you mean. I've just had my hands full with a few things, that's all. Ferrying a couple of time-skipped teenagers across the stars hasn't been easy, you know."

"Well, I'll leave you to it. I'll take care of the fleet for as long as I am able. You get these kids out of here and we'll talk again later. See you, Trickster!" The man sped off and jumped, turning into another fighter speeding off into the fray.

His smile widened, "Glad to have you back…Enigma."


	20. Fate

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

Sorry for the long update, a lot of things are occupying my time and efforts. For the few dedicated fans, thank you for staying with this story despite the aforementioned problems. Now, here is chapter twenty, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Twenty – Fate

Watching Enigma fly off into the fray brought back the memories of their past adventures, Trickster couldn't help but to smile in the moment. The only thing that broke him out of his reverie was the large plasma bolt that destroyed the building nearest to him. Getting to work right away by propping his TrickCycle back on its wheels, he turned his attention to the girls laying unconscious on the street.

"Enigma can buy us time, but I don't know if he can stop the Vok'tul. You have to get up and get to the mansion."

Sam and Aelita started getting up, but Yumi was still not moving. Trickster scooped the young asian girl in his arms and took her to the bike. Putting her in the seat, he ran back to the other two. He grabbed their biceps and with a single lift, got them on their feet.

With everyone sitting back in their positions, Trickster revved the TrickCycle and away they went. His heart couldn't stop beating so fast for every moment the mansion got closer, the more his awareness sharpened. It felt like a death ray could hit them and it would all be over.

He shook his head and thought, "No, I can't think like that. We're going to make it…" Looking up at his friend for a split second, he returned to the road, "…got to keep focused…got to keep focused."

They were only a few blocks from the mansion's gate when Trickster slowly grinded to a halt. A few dozen Vok'tul were pounding away at the gate to get entry, though a few climbed over their comrades to get inside.

Trickster said calmly, "Aelita, lower your head as far down as you can, this is going to be rough." He pulled his energy cutter into his hand as the compartment closed back up.

Doing as she was told, Aelita pressed herself against Yumi holding her hands against the frame of the TrickCycle, making sure neither of them would fall off.

"Sam, grip my midsection hard." When she did so, he coughed, "Not so tight…little looser…there, I can breathe again."

The Vok'tul noticed them and Trickster shouted, "Here we go!"

Unleashing a steady stream from his energy cutter, he left a wide arc of fallen Vok'tul to clear their path. The remaining Vok'tul were closing the gap as they sped toward the gate. Firing at the closest target, Trickster brought them more time as the gate was coming close.

"Now, hold on tight!" He shouted as he pulled the throttle up with his free hand as hard as he could. The TrickCycle rode on the back wheel and when the front wheel met the gate, they sped straight up and over the barrier that protected their home.

Taking this moment to breathe, Trickster pressed a button by the throttle and deactivated the laser door of the garage and once they were inside, he pressed it again to turn it on.

"Okay, you can bring the boys back now. I'm going to check on the house."

* * *

Alicia held her child in her arms, whispering reassuring words into his ear as she stroked his hair. Shelly paced around, looking at the door, she hoped that Trickster would come back soon. Each time she gazed at Daedalus, Shelly was torn up inside for he should have to experience this.

Then he said, "I hear something."

This caused both women to pause, turning their eyes to the door. Shelly wondered if he imagined it, how could a child hear something that wasn't there. Though she had settled into a nice life, Shelly's experience as a bounty hunter taught her better.

Jumping into the battle suit, the front of it fixed around and locked into place. The visor slid down and the heads-up display appeared.

"Scanning…" The voice inside the helmet spoke, "Warning! Synthetic being detected!"

"What? Get down!" She shouted at the mother-and-son pair. The door gave way and the Vok'tul began to pour in.

"Six targets…here we go!" Her crosshairs locked on and Shelly fired the lasers built into the suit's forearms.

With two laser blasts decapitating two of her opponents, they split their attention between their targets: Two to Shelly and the others to Alicia. Firing another blast, she decapitated another heading for the helpless duo. The two running toward her, threw themselves into her and they all fell to the ground.

"Damn it!" Shelly yelled as her eyes were focused passed her attackers and to those she was protecting. Turning back to her foes, Shelly clenched her teeth in rage and two laser blades shot out of her forearms. As they clawed again at her suit, she stabbed one through the eye and swiped at the other. With one foe down and the other on his back, Shelly fell down on the prone enemy and stabbed it the same way as the last one.

Caught up in the excitement, Shelly forgot about her charges and looked to see something she would have never believed unless she saw it. Daedalus was standing straight in front of his mother with a hand on the Vok'tul's skull.

"What the…? How are you?"

Daedalus shrugged, "I don't know. Just wanted it to stop getting to mommy."

The Vok'tul was perfectly still with the exception of a small twitch now-and-again. Shelly pointed her laser and ended the last of the imminent Vok'tul. Gathering them up, Shelly moved them into the inner part of the secret chamber as she remained behind in case more showed up.

* * *

Enigma smiled as he surfed on top of a Vok'tul fighter, jumping at the last second before a horrible crash as the two small ships went down in flames. Though he was having fun, his body beaded in sweat and he was desperately catching his breath.

"This is more exhausting than I thought. There are still so many left to go. Come on, Trickster is giving all he's got…" He landed on another fighter, "…so I'll have to give it my all, too." Kicking off with amazing speed, Enigma transformed into another ship, flying into the fight once more.

"Unidentified Ship, we are here to assist." The radio surprisingly worked in Enigma's current form. He looked to see the main fleet of the Arlunolan Defense Forces appear. Many fighter squadrons flew and joined Enigma in the fight.

"Well…" He smiled in his mind, "…I guess I'm not so alone, after all."

* * *

Back inside the secret chamber, Shelly's hands shook as the echoing noise of clambering footsteps filled the room. Her nerves were still on edge from seeing Daedalus using some unknown ability and the fear of losing family added to this.

Just as she was about fire, "Scanning…Biological units detected."

"Biological? That means…" And sure enough, Trickster, the three girls and three boys turned around the corner and into the room.

"Shelly? What happened?"

She lowered her sidearm, "What the hell do you think happened? The Vok'tul nearly ripped our heads off!"

"Okay, we are good to go! Boys, since you can't die, I need you to stay here and prevent the Vok'tul from getting into this chamber!"

"Okay, we get it." Ulrich spoke up, "Aelita, Sam, give Jeremy and Odd clothes to fight with." His friends looking at him still wearing the red samurai armor.

Sam and Aelita looked through the choices and gave their selections before heading inside. Their bodies recompiled as Jeremy stood as a knight in full plate and Odd was wearing a purple body suit with blasters on each forearm.

"Does every suit I wear have to be like this?" Odd asked as this suit was almost identical to his Lyoko form.

"Regardless, we have to keep sharp. Trickster is about to put his plan into motion, he needs backup and that's what we'll do."

"Yeah, speaking of which, did he explain the plan at all to us, even a little?"

They stood there with a blank expression, "Um…"

The inner door locked tight as the boys readied for their final stand.

Inside the locked room was Trickster, Alicia, Daedalus, Shelly and the three girls. He walked over to this strangle control panel that he began to navigate through the buttons and dials. How he could see in absolute darkness was on their minds, but the lights came on. The room they were standing in was a large dome with the controls in the center.

"There's the lights…now, the other chamber."

With another sequences of presses, a door-sized piece of the dome slid up on the far side.

"Follow me. Shelly, please stay here in case the boys fail." With a nod, she respected her older brother's decision and stayed behind.

"Trickster, where are we going? I didn't think there was this chamber here, only the first one I knew about."

"This is a special part of the chamber. I hid this entire place far underground, so nothing could detect it, which is why the many stairs. The control panel for this room is in the same place as the last one and all it requires…" He tossed the ancient-looking cylinder from his vest into his hand, "…is this to start it."

When they got to their destination, he placed the cylinder like a key fitting into a lock and the room lit up. Just like the other room, it was a large dome, but instead of being one large screen, it was hundreds of thousands of tiny dial-looking things.

Aelita looking fascinated, "What is this place?"

"A few years back, one of my enemies discovered this place on a very remote planet. After he was defeated, I transplanted this entire two chambers far underneath my house, so no one would have access to this immense power."

"How will this help us?"

"These chambers can do anything the user wishes. This place is known as the 'Universal Interface', which has the ability to create, destroy, rearrange anything anywhere in the universe. The chamber we're in is known as the 'Palace of Temporal Control'."

"That's…interesting." Aelita said, "But what is all of it?"

"This place can read your timeline and with the right movements can fix it."

The three girls looked at him with wide-eyed expressions, "Wait…don't tell us that your plan from the beginning, since the start of this journey, since we met was to…to…"

Trickster nodded, "Yes, it is called the Rejoining. The process of fusing an alternate timeline to the real timeline. Once the process is complete, you three will disappear, all the Vok'tul will go also, and the time stream will be back to the way it would be without any Dark Future interference. The end of this adventure starts now."

**

* * *

Boom! Next Chapter, As the Vok'tul get closer, will the boys fight them off? Will the Rejoining take place? What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out.**


	21. Threshold of Destiny

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One – Threshold of Destiny

"You can't be serious, Trickster!" Aelita shouted, "You just want to get rid of us this whole time, didn't you?"

"Aelita, it's not like that. I have been on many adventures and seen many things, you kids are better off integrated in your original time streams."

"But…you said…"

Trickster sighed, "Yes, I know what I said and I still believe it, but I have to look at all the options here. Up above, we have hundreds of people dead and dying, Vok'tul are about to pound at our door and my best friend and family are putting their lives at risk. If I rejoin your two timelines together, then the Vok'tul will all disappear and we will be at peace as the timeline resettles."

Sam shouted, "So, that's it? You're going to poof us out of existence, so you can be at peace. That's the most selfish thing I've ever heard."

"Listen, guys, maybe he's right."

"What, Yumi?" Aelita and Sam said in unison.

"Look, we don't belong here. This isn't our time and maybe we'd be happier stuck in the past. At least, there we'll have the boys in flesh-and-blood."

"But we'll be dead, remember? When the timeline changes, this current moment will stay persist. We'll experience our entire lives in an instance, then no more."

"I know this has been an immense learning experience, Aelita. I know there are billions of new rides, adventures, and things to do with hardlight holograms, Sam. Here I have nothing I'd want to do or see. Despite what you may think, I was happy on Earth being the goth girl who stood on her own two feet." Yumi stopped to cry into her sleeve.

Aelita smiled, "Yumi…you still are that same girl who stands on her two feet. That's one of the traits I love about you, you put up this strong front to deal with the world, but you have to remember that you're not alone. I, Jeremy, Sam, Odd, and Ulrich are here for you. Please Yumi, let's stay here."

Trickster said, "If there is one thing I've learned is listen to your friends. They do speak truth, Yumi, but I'm still going ahead with the Rejoining."

"Why? Why do you want this?"

"I've dealt with people long enough to know the value of gratitude. They thank you eternally for saving their life one moment and stab you in the back the next. If I am to spare you of this, would you be eternally grateful."

Aelita looked back on her friends, "Yes, we would be."

He stared into her lovely eyes and sighed, "I don't believe you."

"Why?"

"Because we're human."

* * *

Outside of this conversation, only two rooms away stood the three valiant defenders as they waited for the battle that was to come.

"So, Jeremy, do you know anything about what's been planned to get us out of this mess?"

"No, Odd, I don't. But something's telling me, it's better for us not to know."

"Huh? Why'd you say that?"

"He's right, Odd, Trickster has been putting off this strange feeling since we've met him. It's almost like he's not telling us the complete truth or something."

"Well, we've been saying that since we first materialized. We never actually had a long conversation with that guy."

"Because he's been isolating himself in his workshop the past few days."

"Still, you got to give him credit. He's been taking care of our ladies, hasn't he?"

"Odd! I am going to…!" Ulrich's yell was stopped as the clanging of metal on stone echoed down the stairs.

"It seems they're here, guys."

"What was your first clue?"

The first wave of Vok'tul burst through the door. Odd raising his forearms and blasting two of them away, the others rushing past to fell to Ulrich's blade as he spun it around and Jeremy's sword was tarnished with many a Vok'tul, though not practiced as much as Ulrich, he still held his own quite well.

"Guys, keep it up. They're dwindling!"

"I can't tell, Odd! Having too much focus on fighting them!"

Jeremy raised his shield and a pair of menacing claws stuck themselves deep into his defense. He let out a scream as the shield was part of him. With this opening. Another tackled him to the ground, keeping a claw in his ribcage.

Without his right flank covered, Odd focused as much as he could in that gap. Shortly after, he too was on the ground, pinned.

Ulrich swept through toward his friends and sliced down those pinning his friends, but more would appear to keep them down. Other behind him were cleaving at the bulkhead they were guarding. As Ulrich turned, he was rushed by them and made captive in the same way as the others.

The feeling of unrelenting pain coursed through him as the claws remained inside their virtual structure. Ulrich's gaze toward to the door as it was slowly giving way.

* * *

Hearing the screams echoing through the chamber, Shelly looked back at the room behind her, wondering if the others could hear as well.

Aelita turned to the door, "They are in trouble. We've got to do something."

"As I said, I'm working on it."

"Trickster, there has to be another way. You're a genius, you should be able to figure something out to end this."

He sighed, "The Rejoining is the safest way for all of us. There is another solution, but it's too risky."

"What is it?" Alicia spoke for the first time this whole conversation.

"Forget it! It will take too much time."

"Trickster, whatever this other option is. I suggest you take it, otherwise I am leaving you."-

"What? Leaving me?"

"That's right. I will go out that door and you will never see me again. I'd rather spend my whole life on the streets than stay at home with a man who's pride and convenience gets in the way of helping three girls."

He bit back his tongue, restraining his anger for the sake of his son, "I…I…"

Gazing at the three girls and back to the control panel, he had reached the threshold of destiny. It was here that he stood frozen, the choice between two paths that will ultimately determine one's fate and one's self.

Aelita turned her back on him, "If he's not going to something, we will. Come on, girls…" She held up her recorder and switched the boys' tangibility off.

Without the pain, the boys walked right through the bulkhead into the Universal Interface chamber where Aelita, Sam, and Yumi joined them.

"Three…girls…they're insane to fight the Vok'tul with nothing, but the few things they have? What I'm I doing?"

"_Trickster, you love me, don't you?" _Cecilia said as she coughed up blood. Her body was crushed by the rubble of the fallen tower.

_"You know I do, but why did you save me? You sacrificed yourself and our unborn child for me? No, this is not right."_

She reached for him and he held her hand tight, _"It's because I love you, Trickster. Your destiny is yet to come and many things will change. Just promise me one thing."_

_"Anything, Cecilia, anything."_

_"No matter what happens to you, never give up on yourself. Promise me."_

He desperately held back tears, _"I promise, Cecilia. My love, I promise."_

_"Don't cry, Trickster. You look too sad when you cry. Remember, we will be waiting for you on the other side. Just please don't give up!"_

In the other room, the bulkhead was going to give way at any second. The girls looked nervous as they glanced at their boys one last time.

Yumi had her virtual parasol, Sam had her hoverboard, and Aelita had the blasters. Their boys felt the same way they did with their katana, longsword, and blasters. Shelly stood with her cracked armor, unafraid as her weapons readied for battle.

"Guys, I think we have five more seconds before they swarm over us."

Five…

Yumi broke rank for a second to give Ulrich a kiss.

Four…

Aelita and Sam did the same.

Three…

One of the bulkhead's hinges broke free.

Two…

A bead of sweat fell down Shelly's brow.

One…

Odd gulped.

Zero…

The bulkhead opened free as Vok'tul started climbing over one another.

"We're dead." Odd said before something caught his eye.

A brown thing stuck to the edge of the bulkhead door and quickly extended until it encompassed the entire edge.

"Trick Laser Defense!" From each of the emitter from the brown circle shot forth a continual laser that cut through the first wave entering the room.

"What the?"

Trickster walked into the room with a wide smile, "So, we going to fix this or what?"

**

* * *

Threshold of Destiny was a term I came up with watching Iron Man. At the end when he stares at the index cards, that is where I coined the term.**


	22. Time

**Author's Note:** I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

I'm really sorry about the very long update, but I've been working hard the past four months to make sure I haven't defaulted and working toward getting a job. Once again, my reality has collided with my fantasy.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two – Time

"Trickster!" Aelita shouted in joy. He stood there with a small smile.

"We got to hurry! My laser defense only has a minute of power with all those Vok'tul running into it! Boys, you're the first line of defense. Shelly, put the girls in formation, make sure nothing comes past the guys!" He commanded as he ran to the Interface's control panel.

"How long do you need, Trickster?"

"Optimally, an hour, but see if you can get me five minutes!"

"Will do!"

Trickster tapped a few points on the screen and it brought up the capital city of Arlunola, all ships, both friendly and enemy, were projected on the screen. He dragged the screen down and saw the long line of small red dots that represented the Vok'tul going down the stairs.

"First, let's remove these guys from existence. Go! 32 minutes, 21 seconds!" He pushed the cancel button, "I have to initialize the temporal stop procedure, then. This should do it!" A timer appeared…5 minutes, 42 seconds. Guess that's all I can do!"

Trickster turned back to see the last few seconds the laser field was standing. When it fell, another swarm of Vok'tul entered the room. The first few fell to Jeremy and Ulrich's Blades as Aelita and Odd were firing at those who tried to get through their line. Shelly was watching around to take care of those who were crawling along the walls.

As he watched the timer going down, Trickster turned back to see the Vok'tul that were swarming along the walls, there were too many for Shelly and he pulled out his two handguns, so he can help her out.

"Trickster, there are too many!"

"I know, Shelly! Just keep firing!"

Despite the sounds of battle that echoed down the chamber, Trickster heard something else. He turned to see some of those ripping into the floor of the chamber.

"Odd, Aelita, take care of those behind!"

"I'll do it, Odd! Just keep my sweetie safe!"

"Okay!"

She ran from the defensive line and toward the three Vok'tul tearing into the floor. She took out one of them before they noticed her. The second one was cut in two and the third tackled her on her back. It raised its claw high and as it drove down, Aelita rolled away as it stabbed the ground. As it frustratingly tried to free itself, She took this opportunity to decapitate it.

"3 minutes, 12 seconds left."

Trickster turned and threw some small spheres over the boys' heads. They whisked passed their ears as they watched them fly. They landed in the middle of the next wave.

"Trick Minefield!" His shout activated them and exploded, incinerating the Vok'tul where they were. However, a quick glance at the screen showed their numbers haven't diminished much. In fact, he saw something strange just then and headed back as the others continued to fight.

He saw three red lines driving down toward the chamber.

"Crap! Shelly, we got three Drillers incoming!"

"That's not good! Brother, can you handle the back?"

He watched as the lines got closer, "I'll see what I can do."

Pulling out the rest of his pockets, he saw he didn't have much left. He held another Trick Laser Defense Emitter, a few more Trick Mines, his two guns, and his TrickBlade.

"Can I get two of you to help me here?"

Ulrich nudged, "Go, Jeremy! Odd, I need you to really cover me!"

Yumi shouted, "Aelita, help your boyfriend. Sam and I can handle this."

Trickster turned behind him to see Alicia holding Daedalus in her arms, they both were curled on the ground against the back of the Interface. His eyes met hers as she looked down to their child, who filled his eyes with determination.

"You…you bastards aren't getting them." He spat and turned to face them. The chamber erupted with noise as the drillheads pierced the ceiling.

"Alicia, take Daedalus to the front, hide under the keyboard. I'll be there shortly."

"Trickster…"

"Go!" He shouted and they nodded, crawling along the floor to get to temporary safety. The drillheads blew out and crashed to the floor. From the Drillers, different Vok'tul came forth. Cleavers fell down and brandished their sword arms at their opponents. Metal Spiders descended from them.

"Arachnoids, be careful of their webs. Take the Cleavers out at long range."

However, the Cleavers and Arachnoids stayed back. They weren't attacking like their humanoid brethren. Trickster watched as the rest of them stepped down. Then a few seconds passed, the Drillers were empty. Trickster looked at the many foes before them and they heard crashing from within the Drillers. Out from them slid three Decimators who opened their chassis open and showed their blue orbs with their one eye.

"Three of them? Damn! Aelita, Jeremy, take care of the others. I'll handle the Decimators. Let's get this party started!"

His TrickSuit materialized around him and he flew right toward the middle Decimator. It tried swatting him out of the air, but he barrel-rolled underneath it and with a fist, he punched the orb and it flew out of where it floated. With a buzz and a whirl, the Decimator shut down and fell on the Cleaver in front of it.

Turning back to his friends, he saw Jeremy was holding his own. Aelita was about to be flanked by a Cleaver. Her laser decapitated the Cleaver rushing toward her, but had no time for the other. The blue orb bounced off the wall and fell against his chest. Looking at the Cleaver and back to the orb, he smiled. Tossing it a little into the air, he kicked it and watched it fly toward the Cleaver.

Aelita screamed, now noticing the enemy befalling her. The Cleaver roared in anticipation as the blue orb cracked against his head and exploded. Falling to the ground, Aelita quickly finished him off.

"1 minute, 46 seconds left."

Ulrich slashed through yet another wave with the help of Odd. Sam was busy flying around the room, grinding her hoverboard against the wall and crushing any Vok'tul underneath it. Shelly locked her weapons on the door and two missiles shot from her battlesuit's arms and blasted another wave back.

Trickster looked back to his fight and a Decimator reached out, grabbing him around the waist. He cursed himself silently for getting distracted and the grip squeezed. He tried to fight free, but the grip was too strong. Then a small beam sliced through his captor's arm, freeing him as the Decimator screamed in pain. Aelita wearing a small smile, waved at Trickster. With the arm fallen off, Trickster turned to it and with a heave, picked it.

"Let's see, this should be it!" He noted one of the severed hydraulics.

The Decimator looked at Aelita rather angrily. As it stomped toward her, all the color left her face. Trickster charged forward and let the Decimator's severed hand fell on the blue orb. Pulling back his selected hydraulic, the hand squeezed tight and crushed the blue orb. Another Decimator was gone.

"Now, you know what it feels like!" Trickster shouted at his defeated opponent.

"Trickster!" Aelita pointed to Jeremy, who was being overwhelmed. Taking the arm still in hand, Trickster heaved and threw it toward the enemies facing Jeremy. As it rolled destroying two Cleavers and an Arachnoid, he counted.

"43 seconds left."

An Arachnoid shot its web, but Trickster evaded in time. Bringing out his Nano-disassembler, he proceeded shooting down many enemies in five-second bursts. The front team was tiring as their moves were getting sluggish, Sam stopped what she was doing to rest in mid-air and Yumi's umbrella has broken so often, her kimono started losing its shimmer as the umbrella needed to be recompiled.

She opened it up and stopped a descending Vok'tul. With a spin, she threw it toward its comrades and crashed into them. Taking a moment like Sam, Yumi noticed her kimono was cut in places and many cuts showed around her legs and stomach.

"Those…guys are…quicker…than I…thought." She said between breaths.

Ulrich took a quick glance and realized she was too tired to continue. As she fell to the ground, he turned back to fight even harder. One of the benefits of being made of light, you never get tired. Sam hovered next to Yumi and decompiled her hoverboard. Taking up her umbrella, she held them at bay while Yumi recovered. Odd was flawless in his targeting as he continued holding back the waves.

"9…8…7…6…" Trickster counted as he destroyed the last Decimator with his bare hands.

An Arachnoid shot its web toward Jeremy who sidestepped. The web stuck to the back panel of the Interface. With a push, the Arachnoid stripped it off.

"ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!" The Interface sounded. Trickster flew down and pulled a Trick Mine out of his suit. Throwing it toward the same Arachnoid, who now tried to web Trickster. It caught the mine in its web and pulled it back.

When it ate the mine, "Trick Minefield!"

The mine exploded and the Arachnoid stumbled around while missing its head. Trickster flew down to the panel and saw the error message.

"Good, the timer is just frozen. I need to reroute the conduits."

He heard a scream from behind him as Ulrich got overwhelmed. Odd tried keeping up, but fell seconds later. Trickster pounded the keyboard with his fingers as he worked faster than he could remember. Shelly unleashed all her missiles, buying him some more time.

"There with this last key…Aw!" He felt something sting the back of his neck.

"Trickster, you knew you couldn't defy me!" A female voice filled his thoughts.

"You finally show yourself, Mother Node! You got me with a Stinger. Brilliant, so hard to see one in a swarm of larger Vok'tul."

Shelly looked at Trickster, who stood still, "Trickster! What the hell are you doing?"

Then, she noticed the metal scorpion with the stinger in his neck.

"Damn!" She recalibrated her weapons, but the moment was all they needed to charge her.

"No, Daedalus. Don't look!" His mother warned him. But, he did anyway. The Vok'tul haven't noticed them, hidden where they are. However, Daedalus saw all their defenders were falling.

"Mommy, I need my present!"

"Daedalus, how did you?"

"I need it!" He shouted.

"Okay, here you go." She pulled out a small necklace in the shape of a guitar with a button on it. When the button was pressed, it unfolded into a life-size electronic guitar.

"What do you need this for?"

"I don't know, but I need it."

Trickster smirked, "So, you finally got me. Now what?"

The Mother Node appeared before him in the form of Cecilia.

"You bitch! How dare you take her form!"

"With that Stinger in your neck, I have access to your complete nervous system including all your memories. I could kill you, but I…" She stroked his cheek, "think that would be a waste of your raw talent."

"All you want is my brain!"

"Your brain would make the basis for a great Science Drone. Imagine all your secrets, making my swarm stronger."

"I'd die before that happened."

"You don't have a choice. Now that you're under my control, I can assimilate your handsome body and add it to my collection."

"If you wanted a date, you could have just asked." He smirked.

She slapped him, "Enough! Prepare to become one with the Vok'tul, Trickster!"

"Damn it, I need to stop this!"

"There's nothing you can do to…" A guitar string echoed through the air and her form fizzled for a moment, "What the? How did you…"

"I'm as puzzled as you are."

Another guitar string plucked and her form fizzled more, "Something is interrupting the connection. This…this is impossible!"

"Trust me. After all my adventures, there is no such word."

"No!" She screamed as more guitar strings echoed and Trickster regained control of his body. Shaking it off, he looked back to the panel and pressed the last key.

"5…"

Jeremy pushed them back with his shield.

"4…"

Aelita was knocked down to the floor.

"3…"

Cleavers and Vok'tul were rushing the Interface.

"2…"

Daedalus gripped his mother's waist hard.

"1…"

Trickster fired away with one hand as his other hand was on the panel.

"0…"

Trickster closed his eyes as Vok'tul were nearly face-to-face with him. After a moment, he opened them to see everything but him was frozen in time. Breathing a sigh of relief, Trickster turned back to the Interface and began programming all the necessary actions.

"Time to Removal of all Vok'tul…29 minutes, 43 seconds. Time to resurrection of all dead Arlunolans…1 hour, 23 minutes, 57 seconds. Time to restore all the capital city…1 hour, 14 minutes, 32 seconds. Time to memory wipe of all Arlunolans…2 hours, 11 minutes, 4 seconds."

Trickster again sighed in relief, "Everything is going to be all right now. Once everything is done, I'll eliminate the temporal stop." He slid down to the ground and sat next to his wife and child. Their faces were still wrapped in fear, but now it was all right.

Taking out his cigarettes, Trickster popped one out of the container and looked for his lighter, "Damn it! Must have lost it back in the city!"

He stood up with the cigarette in his mouth and tapped a few more buttons. His lighter magically appeared on the control panel. With a small smile, he lit it up and looked to his wife, he stared into her eyes for a few seconds, letting the flame burn.

"Listen, I know I promised I wouldn't smoke anymore in front of our son. But I always have one at the end of an adventure, I told you this and I'm going to enjoy it. Besides, it's not like you're ever going to know."

With that, he took in his first lungful of smoke and leaned his head back. His adventure has finally come to an end. All he could do was wait.

**

* * *

Next Chapter, the Epilogue.**


	23. Epilogue

**Author's Note: **I do not own Code Lyoko, etc.

* * *

Epilogue – New And Old

The day dawned over the Arlunolan Capital, the events of the last day never transpired. People who died are now living and buildings that were destroyed are now whole. The memories of the Vok'tul invasion were gone as well as the Vok'tul themselves. All was right in this world.

In one of the four mansions risen on the cliffs overlooking the city, Trickster stirred in his sleep. Sunlight poured through the window and he awoke. Looking to his clock, it read 7:23 AM. He started getting up when Alicia's arm fell across his chest.

"Don't get up."

"But, I have stuff to do today."

She cuddled closer and kissed him on the cheek, "Come on, you just saved a world. I think you deserve the day off."

"I got too much to do."

"Please, stay in bed, that stuff can wait for later." Her left hand was moving further south.

He blushed, "You know…" he cleared his throat, "Space is very cold and can have certain effects on a man. The warmth of a planet is very welcoming."

Trickster yelped in joy as her hand grabbed him.

"Come on, my big hero, let's have some fun for a while." She got on top.

* * *

"Wow, I can't believe this. You actually did it!" the girls said that afternoon in the Universal Interface Chamber.

Ulrich, Jeremy, and Odd stood in the flesh. They looked at their hands, closing and opening them as if this was a dream. The girls stood there, their legs quivering as they held back their emotions. However, they soon ran toward them and jumped into their arms. Trickster turned away and walked up the stairs, giving the nearly reunited couples a little alone time.

When they got back upstairs, they were still blushing and walked hand-in-hand down the hallway adjacent to the outdoor courtyard.

"So…Odd, what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

Ulrich spoke to Yumi, "I'm amazed, Trickster did all this." His free hand he still opened and closed.

"I'm glad he used the Digital Recorders and got to implant its memories into you. Now, we can enjoy all those precious moments together."

"Like that time in the forest?"

Yumi blushed, "Yeah like that."

Aelita said, "Jeremy, I can't wait to see what this world is like."

"Me too, so where do you want to go?"

Aelita brought a finger to her chin, "Hmm…maybe, we can go to the Holo-Studio here at the mansion?"

Jeremy leaned in and whispered, "If we can beat them to it."

She giggled, "Yeah! Let's go!"

Aelita shouting to the top of her lungs caused the other four to freeze long enough for them to pull into the lead. When they realized what had happened, they chased after them.

* * *

Daedalus laughed as he was being spun in the air by his mother, Trickster looked out and smiled, Enigma walked beside him and put an arm on his shoulder.

"So, that's a nice looking family you have there?"

"I do. So, what plans do you have?"

"I was thinking of heading back to Meditas IV, I still have a lot to do in my training."

"Yeah, I noticed you turning into metal without screaming in pain anymore, was it because of them?"

"Their training has allowed me to be one with the universe…or more so, at least."

"You're always welcome to stay here if you want."

"You have a family now, so an old friend would just be in the way."

"But, you can visit anytime. Here, you're going to need it." He placed something into Enigma's hand and when he opened it, there was a key.

"The Ship Key to the New Light? Are you sure?"

Trickster looked back at his family, Alicia was tossing Daedalus into the air and catching him on the way down.

"I'm sure, I'm not going to be needing it anymore. I already moved all of the 'important' items into safer places."

"Well…" He saw the serene look on his friend's face, "Sure, I guess. Well, I have a long trip ahead of me and so do you it seems."

"Can't you stay for dinner, at least?"

"I would, but you already have lots of guests. But should you need to call me, I'll keep the ship's radio on." He extended his hand.

Trickster shook it, "Take care, my friend."

"You too." He sighed with a smile, "Today is a beautiful day."

Trickster couldn't help feeling sad as he watched his best friend for many years walk away. Turning to his family, he saw the three girls he met this journey, Shelly, Alicia all laughing around Daedalus who was acting cute. Turning back to his friend leaving, Trickster felt as if the past was done and the future awaited.

* * *

"Sorry, guys, Jeremy and I want to use the Holo-Studio. We had raced to it, but we agreed that we'd use it after seeing how everyone was doing." They were talking in the lounge that night.

"I think Yumi and I should use it first. She was the one almost killed in space, I think she needs to relax more than anyone."

Odd raised his voice, "So, why do you have to use it with her?"

"Well…because I'm her boyfriend and therefore where she goes, I go."

"Ulrich…" Yumi blushed.

Aelita sighed with her hand rubbing her brow, "Look…everyone. This is getting us nowhere. There has to be a way to settle this. I vote for Rock, Paper, Scissors."

Yumi shrugged, "No way, I'm not going to do that. Ulrich is right, I'm standing by him and that means we should have first dibs on the Holo-Studio." She wrapped herself around Ulrich's arm, making him blush.

Sam shook her head, "So much for a diplomatic approach. Odd, want to do something fun?"

"Um…sure."

She took his hand and walked away, leaving the other two couples to argue. It wasn't long before Trickster arrived.

"Whoa, what is happening here?" He interjected himself.

Aelita was the first to speak, "We're just deciding who was going to use the mansion's Holo-Studio first."

"You do know that the mansion is large, right? It runs off it's own geothermal, solar, and wind generators. That is why we have two Holo-Studios."

They froze in their arguments, "What?"

"Yeah, the west Holo-Studio through that door and the east Holo-Studio through that hall down there. In fact, now that I have lots of spare time. I'm thinking of adding a third one in the northern wing."

The two couples look at each other and then ran toward the closest Holo-Studio. Trickster smiled and moved to his bedroom.

"The kids are enjoying themselves. Almost killed each other their first day here, but still enjoying themselves."

"Are you sure you can handle those kids staying here?"

"Yeah, this mansion is huge. There has to be dozens of empty rooms, I'll call some furnishing services and have whatever they want shipped in. I don't think we can separate them, I'm not going to install security systems to stop them from making out late at night…" He rubbed his chin, "Although, I could invent…"

"Trickster…"

"Okay, okay, I'm only joking. So, how's Daedalus?"

"He's fine. Very happy, in fact. He said he'd love having daddy back and he brought him new brothers and sisters. It was really cute. He's a really good musician; it's so soothing when he plays."

"Yeah, did you notice anything strange when he plays?"

"He's just special." She wiggled his nose between her fingers, "Just like his daddy."

"Why are you being so sweet on me? I mean this morning and now."

"What? A wife can't be sexy for her man?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I wasn't the best husband and father, why didn't you hate me?"

She looked down, her hair falling over her face, "Well, I did hate you for a long time. Those nine months when you left, I couldn't think of nothing but hating you. It was when Daedalus was born, I awoke to see him cleaned up and trying to grab my nose. Then in that moment, I remembered all those conversations Cecilia and I had about you and how innocent he was, I cried for hating you and held our son close. I wanted you to look into his eyes because I knew when you did, you'd understand."

It was only a day ago that he saw the look in his son's eyes and felt what she felt back then. He sighed and looked into her eyes.

"I'm…happy that I'm back."

"Me too."

They enjoyed their kiss and embraced each other in their arms.

* * *

Later that night, Trickster stirred in his sleep. His lungs felt crushed as a familiar feeling shivered down his entire body. Darkness consumed his thoughts and his dreams causing him to thrash around. Sweat beaded across his body as this feeling didn't cease. His eyes burst open and shot up with a start. Catching his breath, he rested his head on one hand. Looking over at Alicia, she was sleeping peacefully unaware of the feeling he was experiencing.

Getting out of bed, He quickly dressed himself. Before heading downstairs, he examined a small terminal built into the wall just outside of the master bedroom.

"Good, both Holo-Studios are still active. I'm not taking any chances with this one." He tapped in a few keys on the buttons beneath the screen. A red circle with a slash through them surrounded both green lights signifying the Holo-Studios.

"Definitely not taking any chances with this one." He pressed another small button and exhaled, "Aelita, if anything goes wrong, you have to listen to what I say…"

Deep inside the Universal Interface Chamber, Trickster walked in and looked toward the door in the back where the Palace of Temporal Control resided. Turning to the controls, he tapped a few more buttons and proceeded into the next chamber, however it wasn't the Palace, it was another room was a large chandelier object in the center, each pedestal had an item surrounded with a water-like covering. All the items that Trickster once had aboard the New Light were here.

The dark feeling he had grew larger as he approached the object, it was crushing him more and more with every step he took. Yet he couldn't stop as if he were under a trance. Trickster stopped, standing there in front of one particular object.

"Remember what we've done together…the many paths you've walked…and yet you managed to survive the despair…what drives you, Trickster…what prevents you from falling?", a dark voice emanated through the chamber.

He smiled, "Remember that I'm a genius with a heart to match. Despair is for those who are too easily swayed by external influences. Despite the eternity you've endured, never will understand the simplicity of human nature. Dark Future Orb, why have you called me?"

"One of the fallen wishes entry into your world…Strong has he become and no longer can I resist him…I need you, Trickster, the only man to survive your own Dark Futures not once, twice, but ten times. You know all the secrets a Dark Future has and so, you are the only one who can stop him."

"Stop who? Quit being cryptic and tell me!"

"Too late, he has calculated the probability of escape and has implemented procedures. Good luck, my most hated enemy."

"Who? You blasted creation of existence, tell me!"

A swarm of black gas leaked from the orb and swarmed around him. Trickster batted around, but he theorized this wasn't normal gas as he continued resisting. Then he saw a digital flicker and it was then he realized what was happening. The gas shrunk inside him and he grew very still.

After a moment, he raised his head and with the opening of his eyes, there was emblazoned the symbol of XANA. With a malevolent smile, Trickster started walking out of the chamber.

**

* * *

This is the first time I concluded a story with a definite sequel there. I hoped you liked this and I will be writing the sequel shortly, though I got a lot on my plate lately. Regardless of real life, thank you for reading this story and hope you enjoy reading the ones I've made and will make. May All Your Futures Be Dark :)**


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